Deception and Lies
by What About Love
Summary: What happens when a night of heartache and liquor becomes something more? Will/Karen
1. Chapter 1

"You don't live here anymore."

Will stormed out onto the terrace. He couldn't believe that she was canceling their baby making plans on him. She wasn't only canceling for herself, it was for a man. Not just any man, a man that she had just met. So he had actually shown up on a white horse and swept her off of her feet, literally.

He heard the front door slam and knew that Grace had just left. She probably went over to Jack's or Karen's to spend the night. He couldn't believe that he said all those things to her. What kind of a friend was he?

He shook all thought from his head and walked back into his apartment. He looked around the room once before grabbing a bottle of tequila, a shot glass, and slicing a lime. He walked over to the couch and coffee table and sat down.

After Will took a few shots of tequila, Karen walked through the door. She looked at Will's slightly disheveled state and frowned. She knew what he had said to Grace because she was at Jack's when Grace came over, crying. After she finally cried herself to sleep, Karen decided that she would leave. She wanted to go and yell at Will, but changed her mind when she saw how he was dealing with their fight.

"Honey," she began as she closed the door. "Are you alright?" she asked. She walked over to him and looked down at his face.

"Go away Karen. I really don't want to deal with you right now." He replied coldly as he licked salt off of his hand, took a shot, and bit into a lime wedge. She watched in silence. Will wasn't normally too much of a drinker and this made her curious.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as she took a seat next to him on the couch. He looked over to her angrily before abruptly standing from the couch. He fetched another shot glass from the kitchen and returned to his seat. He filled the glasses and handed one to Karen.

"If you want to talk to me, you have to drink with me." He said, handing her the salt shaker. She looked up from her shot glass and into Will's eyes. He seemed lost. She went through the motions of the shot and sat her lime peel on the table next to his. She looked back at him and waited for an explanation. He just shook his head. "Catch up to me first. I've done four." She rolled her eyes and quickly downed three more shots.

"Okay, Mary, I'm caught up. Now, will you tell me why you made Grace cry?" she asked, indifferently. He just scoffed.

"Of course she blamed it all on me. I'll bet she didn't tell you that she wants to wait on the baby thing." He said. He took another shot. "Come on, keep caught up." He ordered. She took another and commented on his previous remark.

"She told me earlier today at work." Karen said. She waited a moment before she took another shot. "Keep caught up." She said. He took another as well.

"I just don't know who she thinks she is?"

"Honey, she's just a woman who wants to be happy. Why do you want to destroy that?" she asked. He sharply turned to her.

"You know, you're not helping at all. Why don't you just go home?" he irately spoke as he poured another shot.

"I didn't come here to help you. I came here to yell at you for hurting Grace the way you did. I just thought that maybe you needed to talk about it." She responded. "I'm leaving." She said as she stood, stumbling a little, before walking towards the door. Will was quick on his feet and grabbed her hand before she could leave.

"Wait, I'm sorry." He said as he pulled her a little closer. "Would you mind staying?" he asked, laying his pride aside. He knew he needed to talk seriously about this situation and Karen was the only one of his friends who thought about him enough to at least try. She just nodded and he pulled her back over to the couch.

"I'll only stay if you answer my question." She said as she sat down and they took another shot together.

"I don't know. I guess I was just so excited about having a baby that I didn't even think about what she wanted." He sighed. "But if she didn't want to do this then she should have just told me from the beginning."

"She was excited too, honey." Karen replied, glad that he had finally calmed down. "But she has a chance to find the love of her life. That's a big thing for Grace and she just thought that her best friend would understand that." They took another shot. They were definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol. Will had chosen two of the biggest shot glasses that he owned.

"Maybe I'm just jealous that she's found someone and I can't." he confessed. He couldn't believe that he was telling Karen this, of all people. They took another shot a piece and Will sighed. "You know I've been with men and I've had sex with women too, but I've never found someone to really be with. I mean, Michael and I lasted for seven years, but that doesn't completely count. Can I tell you a secret, Kare?"

"Sure, honey, I won't tell." She said softly. She was feeling sleepy from sitting still too long.

"I had sex with a woman when Michael was living here. He found out and that's the main reason we broke up. I never told Grace." He said. He leaned forward and filled their glasses once more. They went through the now repetitive motion of their drinking before Will continued with one last thought. "You know, I probably deserve whatever I get. For example, I haven't been kissed in like a year. How sad is that?" he scoffed.

"Not as sad as you think." She said, just loud enough for Will to hear.

"What do you mean?" he asked, noticing that Karen seemed to be getting teary.

"I haven't been kissed in a while either. Can I tell you a secret too, honey? I think that Stan's having an affair." She made a confession of her own. Will put his hand under her chin and turned her to face him. She tried to push him away before he could see the tears, but he saw them. "I'm sorry, honey. I'd better go." She said softly as she tried to stand up. Will surprised her by pulling her into a hug.

At the feeling of his caring arms, she broke into quiet sobs that wracked her small body. He held her closer as he tried to comfort her. She clung to him as he kissed her hair before pulling back a little and finding her cheek, barely kissing the corner of her mouth. She pulled back and looked into his eyes while he wiped her tears.

"I'm sorry." She said, stuffy from her sudden outburst. Will just smiled softly, her face still between his hands. He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. Her eyes widened as she pulled back from his kiss. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

He just leaned in and kissed her a little bit harder, holding her to him by the back of her neck. His lips massaged hers as she sat motionless. She didn't want to, but before she could help herself she closed her eyes and kissed him back, igniting a flame. She allowed his tongue to pass between her parted lips as he pushed her backwards on the couch.

His hands began to explore her body and she knew that it was wrong to let him. However, it felt very good and the alcohol in her veins was completely clouding her judgment so instead of stopping, she reached down and unbuckled his pants. It had been so long since she had been touched the way he was touching her. He pushed his pants off, threw his shirt on the floor as well and mounted Karen once again.

His lips traveled down to her neck and she felt him lick and bite a particularly sensitive spot. Her breathing grew rapid as he unbuttoned her shirt and lifted her to slide it from her shoulders. He began pulling down her pants when she stopped him.

"Not here." She said. Before another thought escaped her mind, he picked her up from the couch and carried her to his bedroom. He sat her down on the bed before closing and locking the door. She removed her pants as he was making his way back to the bed. He lay on top of her and kissed her roughly as he pulled her bra straps down her shoulders. He quickly tried to unclasp it, but Karen wouldn't let him. She just kissed him deeper and reached down to take his boxers off. He threw her thong to the floor, slipped on a condom and settled himself in between her legs.

He looked into her eyes and pushed himself into her. She gasped at the sudden connection. He was a lot bigger than her husband and it sent a shockwave throughout her body. He waited for her signal to begin moving. She kissed him after a moment and he pulled out before shoving back in again. She wrapped her legs around his waist and sighed in satisfaction.

He ran his hands through her short hair as he plowed into her faster. She felt an orgasm overtake her body, shivering underneath Will. He felt her walls tighten around him and he pushed harder. He wanted to be able to make her come again so he held himself back.

He kissed her neck and pulled her hair a little as she raked her fingernails down his back. Sweat glistened on their bodies as they fulfilled one another's lonely needs. She came a second time, her legs pulling him deeper into her body. After a few more thrusts, he finally came as well.

They stayed connected for a few moments, clutching each other tightly and finding their breath. They didn't want to let go for fear that the moment would be broken. Will ultimately pulled out and lay on his back next to Karen as she pulled the sheets up to her chest. She was way too self-conscious to let him get a good look at her body.

He turned and pulled her close. She hugged him by placing her arm around his waste and cuddling her face into his chest. They didn't speak before both of them fell asleep in each other's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

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The sun blasted through Will's bedroom window, causing him to stir. His head was throbbing. He couldn't believe he drank like he did. He shouldn't have picked the biggest shot glasses he could find. That's when it hit him; he had gotten two shot glasses.

He began to come to reality a bit faster when he noticed an arm around his waist. He didn't want to open his eyes in fear of the fact that it was almost certainly Karen. He turned his head slowly and opened his eyes to a squint. He saw Karen sleeping peacefully, her face rested against his chest. If it weren't such a dire situation then she would have looked beautiful lying in his arms.

He looked at her for a moment before rubbing his hand up and down her arm. Her skin felt cold, but soft under his touch. He whispered her name and she began to wake.

Her head felt like it had been hit by a car, pounding under the aftereffects of alcohol. She didn't usually get hangovers, but tequila always got to her. She moved a little, but stopped when she felt somebody under her arm. She knew that it wasn't her husband because she could wrap her arm all the way around him. Her eyes sprang open and she gasped. Then the memory of the night before came back in a flash.

"Oh, fuck." She whispered. She sat up and pulled away from him, making sure she was covered with the sheets. She straightened out her hair a little before asking, "What time is it?"

"Seven thirty." He replied, not yet understanding her reaction to their situation.

"Can you turn away while I get dressed?" she asked, blankly. He turned away and she quickly slid into her pants. She looked around for a moment before she asked, "Do you know where my panties are?"

He shook his head, still turned away from her. He wasn't quite sure how she felt about the night before. He wasn't even sure how _he_ felt about the night before. The only thing he really knew for sure, their friendship would never be the same again.

"I'll see you." She said as she opened the door and went in search of her shirt and shoes. She found them by the couch and quickly put them on. She picked up her purse and walked out Will's front door. Once in the elevator her tears began to fall.

Will, on the other hand, was slightly perplexed. He didn't even know what to say to her. He wanted to apologize for taking advantage of her, but she would have stopped him if she didn't want it too.

After a couple of aspirin and a glass of water Will got ready for his day. He was picking up his clothes from the night before and he found Karen's panties. He put them in his pocket, wanting a real reason to go and talk to her at lunch. They needed to set a clean slate if they could ever feel comfortable around each other again.

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Karen rushed into her penthouse, expecting to find Stan worried that she hadn't even called. To her dismay, he was nowhere to be found. She walked upstairs to their bedroom and noticed that some of her scarves were still on the bed, from yesterday morning. This indicated that Stan hadn't even come home the night before.

She was livid. There she was feeling guilty about being unfaithful when her husband was out doing the same thing. What a marriage. The difference between them was, she still felt guilty. It wasn't like she really, truly loved Stan. It was more of a marriage made out of security rather than love. However, that didn't mean that his adulterous actions didn't hurt. She still wanted an ounce of respect.

She walked over to her liquor cabinet and grabbed a few items. She mixed a strong drink and walked into her bathroom to take a quick bath before going to work. She just hoped that Grace didn't ask too many questions. She knew there would be plenty of talk, though. She found a hickey on her neck when she looked into the mirror.

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Karen walked into work around ten thirty, plenty of makeup on her neck. She sat down at her desk and fumbled with her things absentmindedly. Grace wasn't there yet and she assumed that she was probably waiting until Will was gone before she went home and got some of her things. Will…

She felt like she took advantage of him. Strangely enough, he was the one that started everything. What was he looking for in her? He was supposed to be gay, but apparently that wasn't sticking. She had no clue that he was even remotely attracted to women, not to mention herself.

"Hi Kare." Grace greeted as she walked into the office.

"Hey, honey. How're you feeling?" she asked as she stood and walked over to Grace's desk.

"I'm better today. Whatever that pill was you gave me last night, it was nice. I slept like a baby." Grace giggled a little as she looked over to her assistant. "Oh my gosh, Karen, you have a hickey." She said, smiling wider.

"Honey, it's nothing. I want to know how you're doing." Karen said, desperately trying to get away from a touchy subject. "Did you see him this morning?"

"No, I waited until he left for work before I went over." Grace replied. "I don't think I can face him yet. I want to get a few things in order in my mind before I really let him have a piece of it."

"Well, you hang in there, honey." Karen replied as she made her way back to her desk.

"What about you? Are you and Stan spicing up the marriage?" Grace laughed a little as she referred to Karen's hickey.

"Actually Grace, if you must know, he didn't come home last night." She replied, leafing through a magazine. "I don't know where he is."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry or anything."

"It's okay, honey." She said, fading the conversation away with her last words. She could barely believe that she had just admitted that willingly.

The rest of the morning was filled with comfortable silence. Karen was lost in thoughts and magazines and Grace was trying to think of ways to fix her current situation. It wasn't until noon that there was a knock on the door. Both women turned their heads to the sound as Will walked in.

"Karen, can you please let me know when your visitor is gone. I'll be in the swatch room." Grace said as she walked into the back room. Karen just looked up to Will and quickly turned her attention back to her magazine.

"Well, you heard her, honey. She doesn't want to talk to you." She said before looking into his eyes. "So get out." She said harshly.

"Karen, we need to talk." He whispered.

"I don't think we do." She said. "Whatever you need to say to me, sum it up and leave."

"Fine." He said as he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her panties out of his pocket and placed them in the palm of her hand. Her eyes widened and she hid them in her lap. "It was fun. We should go at it again sometime." He said loudly, watching her mortification play out in front of him.

"Let's go to lunch." She said abruptly. She shoved her panties in her purse and walked to the swatch room to tell Grace that she was leaving. Then she walked out the door, Will following closely behind.


	3. Chapter 3

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"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked as soon as the doors of the elevator closed. "What if Grace would've heard?"

"Does it matter? Either way, last night happened." He replied. They stayed silent as they heard the elevator ding, indicating that they had made it to their floor. Karen walked out ahead of Will and they walked across the street to their group's favorite coffee shop. She sat down at a table in the back and looked into Will's eyes. He sat down, watching her pout in front of him. He smiled at her childlike quality.

"Stop smiling. This isn't really a laughing matter." She said, harshly. She leaned forward so nobody else could hear her before continuing. "I cheated on my husband last night. How can I ever expect him to trust me again? And to make matters worse, it was with one of my best friends."

"We were drunk and looking for comfort. It was just something that happened."

"Maybe for you." She said. "I made a commitment to Stan and I had every intention of honoring it."

"What about him? He's fucking someone else too." He commented. She was taken aback by his tone. He had always joked with her, but he had never been condescending.

"I can't believe you…"

"Okay, stop." He interrupted. "We are never going to get anywhere by arguing."

"Fine, then what is there to say?"

"I don't know. I've never been in this situation before."

"Then let's just pretend like it didn't happen." She said through her teeth. "We're done here." She said as she stood from the table to leave. He followed.

"Karen we can't leave it like this." He said as she walked to the corner. The light wouldn't turn for her to cross the street so she had to stay and listen to him.

"Just leave me alone." She replied. "I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

"Is one of those things the fact that you enjoyed having me inside you?" he whispered from behind her, tickling her ear. She gasped and spun around to face him, pushing him away from her in the process. Yeah, he knew that that would get her to listen. "Hey, don't get all defensive. You did like it didn't you?"

"Go to hell, you pervert. I don't know where you get off thinking you know me."

"I don't know you any better than you know yourself. But I do know that you whisper when you're sleeping." He replied, realizing how creepy he actually did sound. "And you said you loved it when I was inside you." She stood still, shocked.

"That's impossible. I'm taking two different pills so I won't do that anymore. Nice try though." She said as she began walking. He grabbed her arm and held her by her shoulders. "Don't touch me." She said as she tried to pull away.

"Then promise me that you wont walk away." He said. She scowled and nodded as he let go of her. "All of our stuff aside, how is Grace?"

"She's fine." Karen replied, curious as to why he was keeping her there so long. She wanted to get away from him for a while. "She said that she needed a little space before she would talk to you again. Now, please leave me alone." She pleaded as she turned and walked across the street to her office.

He watched after her as she entered the building. His mind was on her all day. He couldn't believe that he had had sex with Karen Walker. She was Jack's best friend and Grace's assistant for almost five years. How could he have taken advantage of her kindness towards him? And worse, how could he have suggested that she liked it?

But she did say she liked it, in her sleep. She whispered ever so softly in the middle of the night. He wouldn't have believed it unless he heard it for himself. Maybe she just needed a little time to think things through.

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Karen arrived home later that evening to find the house empty, once again. The maids scattered as soon as she opened the door and Stan's coat was not on the coat rack. It looked like he still hadn't come home. She didn't feel like thinking anymore. All she wanted to do was cry. She was actually kind of happy that her husband wasn't home. It would give her some time to herself.

She hung up her coat and walked over to her mini-bar to make a martini. She walked upstairs and began to take her hair down. It was at the moment she stood in front of her bedroom door that she heard it. The sounds of love making were echoing from the bed that she and her husband shared. She put a hand over her mouth and retreated back down the stairs. She didn't want to deal with him at the moment.

She walked into the library and sat on her couch. She didn't know what to do about Stan. She had suspicions that he was cheating on her, but she never wanted to believe that they were real. She picked up the phone and began to dial a number, but she quickly hung up. What was she thinking? She couldn't call him. Not at a time like that.

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Will and Grace finally made up. They talked it all out and made sure the other understood their side of the story. Grace moved back in and everything was getting back to normal.

Grace decided to have everybody over one evening for dinner. She wanted them to all be together. Jack and Karen both agreed to the dinner, but Karen was reluctant to go. It had been about a week since her and Will's encounter and she still wasn't sure how to act around him.

She never told Stan that she heard him with that woman. She didn't want to bring it up. She knew that they would end up divorcing if she pursued anything. She was too depressed to feel like there was much of a point. How could she make it on her own?

"Karebear, are you feeling okay?" Jack asked at dinner. Karen hadn't said anything the whole time they had been there.

"I'm fine, Poodle. I'm just not really myself today." She responded as she finished off her fourth glass of wine. She stood to fill her glass once again. Jack looked from Will to Grace and shrugged. He didn't know how much she was dying inside.

After Jack left, Grace decided to go to bed. She knew that Karen needed someone to talk to. She and Will were getting really close for a while and she assumed that they could talk it out. She wasn't really sure what had gotten into them, but they seemed a little off lately.

"You're going to bed?" Karen asked Grace. "Well, I guess I'd better go then. See you on Monday, honey." She said as she grabbed her purse and walked out the door. Will quickly followed after her. She pushed the button for the elevator and tapped her foot.

"You know you have to talk to me eventually." Will said as he came up behind her. She turned around.

"Not yet, honey. Just leave me alone."

"I will if you tell me what's going on with you." He said. She looked into his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I heard him with another woman. They were in our bed." She confessed before turning around.

"Oh, Karen, I'm sorry. I mean, I knew you suspected, but I can't believe that he actually…"

"Just drop it." She said, turning back to him. "You wanted to know and I told you. That's the end of it." He just pulled her into a hug. She tried to pull away for a moment before finally letting him comfort her.

"Even though it'll be awkward for a while, I'll always be here for you." He said before he kissed her cheek and walked back into his apartment. Karen stood still until the elevator doors opened.


	4. Chapter 4

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"Hello, dear." Stan greeted as Karen walked into his office the next day. "What are you doing here?"

"We haven't seen each other in almost a week and you ask me what I'm doing here?" she asked. "I just wanted to see if you were still alive. I guess you are so I'll see you next week." She said before walking towards the door.

"Stop being so dramatic, Karen. What do you want?" he asked as he stood from his desk and walked over to her. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, moving to her lips and kissing her coldly. She barely kissed back, almost perfunctorily. It didn't feel right. She pulled away.

"I just wanted to see how you were." She lied. She had actually come to confront him about his affair, but she cowardly decided not to.

"You want to know how I am?" he asked as he leaned in to suck on her earlobe. "I'm horny." He said, running his hands over her breasts.

"Stop it. I'm not." She said as she pushed him away. He took hold of her wrist and ran his fingers up and down her arm.

"You have such beautiful skin, darling. It's flawless. Now, if it weren't for the extra weight..." He said, trailing off as he continued to caress her arm. She pushed his hands away. "I love you." He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek once again. She just faked a smile and left. He didn't even seem to notice that she didn't return the blank sentiment. He didn't care that she left. All he did was go right back to working on his computer.

Karen was enraged. How could he expect her to want him when he was fucking some other woman? She had a newfound hatred for him. She didn't even want to be around him. She walked into her bathroom and pulled a bottle of vodka out of her husband's mini-fridge.

She took a long drink and locked the door behind her. As she sat on the side of the bathtub she replayed Stan's words. 'You have such beautiful skin,' 'it's flawless,' 'if it weren't for the extra weight.' He made her feel sick.

She threw the emptied bottle across the room and heard it shatter. She started a bath and stripped off her clothes. She looked in the mirror at her naked body and cried. Her skin may have been flawless, but her body wasn't what it used to be. She was very thin when she got married, but she gained a lot of weight soon after. She was finally thinner, but she had never completely gotten her shape back.

She wiped her tears from her eyes, climbed into her steaming bath, and washed her body. She spread some shaving cream on her leg when she suddenly got a thought. She looked at her razor and paused for a moment. What would it feel like to look less than flawless? She answered her question by taking the razor across her wrist.

She gasped at the sting of the blade cutting her wrist and became angry with herself. 'Who does that?' she thought to herself. She wiped the blood off of her wrist with a washcloth and finished her bath.

After wrapping herself in a towel she got another cloth and made sure the blood would stop flowing. She realized how stupid she was acting and decided that she would never result to physical self injury. That just wasn't her thing. Instead, she decided to take a few pills and go to sleep. She was ready to try and face a new day. It was all she _could_ do.

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"You're getting married?" Will asked incredulously as Grace held her left hand up in front of her face. Jack and Karen both froze. They had all gone out to eat together because Grace said she had a surprise. And what a surprise it was.

"Yeah." She replied, smiling. "He asked me last night. I'm so excited."

"Isn't this a little soon, honey?" Karen piped up. "I mean, you've only been together for a month."

"No, I can just feel that its right." She replied. "You know how that feels, right? Didn't you have that with Stan?" she asked. She wanted her friends to understand how she was feeling. She knew that Leo was the right man for her. She had never been so in love. But Karen seemed to tense up when Stan's name came into the conversation.

"Yeah, honey, of course I know." She said with a quick look to Will. He was the only one who knew what was going on with her and it killed him to know that their friendship was too awkward for him to help. He could have hit himself for lacking self-control a month ago. If he would have just kept his pants on, they would be able to talk about her problems. They were closer that they appeared before their little incident.

The four friends toasted Grace's engagement and were stunned to learn that the wedding was on the weekend, three days away. They warned her that she was moving too fast, but she just smiled and shared how much she loved Leo. They just hoped she wasn't making a mistake.


	5. Chapter 5

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"Kare, I don't know what to buy for Grace and Leo."

"Honey, they're Jewish. They're just happy that they don't have to pay for anything." She replied. He laughed and held her hand as they walked through the rest of the kitchen supply store.

"Here, let's get them dinner plates and glasses." Jack said as he led Karen over to a shelf. "It's simple, they need it, and we can get out of here." She giggled at his remark, but agreed. They bought the gifts and left to go shopping for new clothes.

"Okay, honey, what do you think about this one?" Karen asked as she stepped out of a dressing room.

"No. I don't like the color. And where are your boobs?" he criticized.

"Don't hold back, honey." She giggled. "I'll try the blue one." She said as she closed the door behind her. Before she could take down her zipper, Jack rushed in. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked as he closed the door behind him.

"You need help." He said. "I don't know what is wrong with you here lately, but you can't even pick out a decent dress." He said as he turned her around and took her zipper down. He looked through her selected dresses and picked the one he liked. He handed it to her and she put it on. He then gave her a green wrap, adjusted her boobs, and took a step back. "This is perfect." He smiled.

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Karen arrived to Grace and Leo's wedding in enough time to help Grace get ready. She arrived alone and quickly made her way to the bride's room. She didn't want to be alone. Before she left the manse, she heard Stanly talking to his mistress on the phone. He said that he loved her and that his wife would be gone all evening. He invited her over and hung up with another declaration of his love. Karen just grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

"Karen, I'm freaking out." Grace panicked as Karen walked into the room.

"What is it, honey?" She asked.

"The lady I hired to do my hair and makeup just canceled on me. She said that she was double booked and decided to go with the people who offered to pay her more. Isn't that a crock of shit?"

"Gracie, just sit down." Karen said. She walked her over to the vanity and plugged in a curling iron. She sifted through Grace's collection of makeup and picked a few things that she would need. She began doing Grace's makeup.

"Thank you." Grace said, looking up into Karen's eyes. She just smiled.

"No problem, honey." She replied as she lined Grace's lips with a dark liner. She brushed the rouge lipstick across her lips and blotted away the excess. Then she began on her hair. She put it half up and pulled ringlets of curls down around her face. She curled the rest of her hair and took a step back. "What do you think?"

"Oh, Karen, I look beautiful." She replied, looking in the mirror.

"Good. Now stop panicking and get married." She said. She walked to the door and left to find a place to sit before the ceremony began. She sat next to Jack and grabbed his hand, striking up a conversation.

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Karen sat at a table in the back of the room during the reception. She watched as lovers and spouses danced to the music. She saw the love in their eyes, the way they were only there fore each other. Then she looked at the newlyweds. They seemed so new, so fresh to this life. All of a sudden, she couldn't breathe. She stood quickly and found an exit.

Grace was married in a small church next to a river. Karen wasn't quite sure why, but she was seemingly drawn to the river. She walked to an uninhabited dock and sat, in her new dress, on the boards. She took off her shoes and dangled her feet over the edge. She heard the thunder in the distance and saw a flash of lightening. She let a few tears fall from her eyes as she reminisced about her life, her own marriage.

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Will watched as Grace danced with her new husband. There was officially a new man in her life, forever. He wasn't sure why this made him so sad. He was just so lonely. He hadn't been with a man in years and his loneliness frightened him. He shook his head and cleared his mind. He needed some fresh air.

He walked out the back doors and down towards the docks. He noticed a small figure sitting on the dock before him. He couldn't quite make out who it was until he saw the pale skin and the discarded wrap behind her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked as he took a seat next to her on the edge of the dock.

"You scared me, Wilma. I thought you were an ax murderer or something." She said sarcastically.

"Funny." He said as he looked out over the river. "But, really, what are you doing out here?"

"I don't know. I just needed to get out of there for a while."

"I know what you mean." He said. "It sounds like it's going to storm soon." He said as the sound of thunder boomed over the water.

"I felt a few raindrops a little bit ago." She replied, leaning back on her hands and looking into the sky. "How does life get so fucked up, Will?" she asked. He was taken aback by her question, but understood exactly what she meant.

"I don't know. I guess you just wait your whole life to be happy and end up disappointed." He replied. He laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed. "You only get away from disappointment by finding a way out yourself."

"Maybe you're right." She said, sighing. She waited a moment before speaking again. "He was on the phone with her when I left. He invited her over tonight." She confessed.

"Did you call him out on it?"

"No, I didn't. I can't even bring it up to Jack, let alone Stan." She replied softly.

"You told me. What's the difference between me and Jack?" He asked. She just laughed.

"Well, honey, Jack is my best friend, but you and I have a different relationship." She said scooting closer to him. He put his arm around her. "And he hasn't been inside me." She whispered. They let her last sentence linger in the air for a moment before Will placed his hand through the slit in her dress. She took a deep breath as he brushed his hand over the soft inner flesh of her thigh over her control tops. "We shouldn't." she said, but he shushed her.

"I know." He said as he leaned in and captured her lips with his. She kissed him chastely, but he soon invaded her mouth with his tongue. He ran his hand between her legs until he could feel her panties. He rubbed her for a moment before he pushed her backwards, gently. He broke the kiss and pulled her panties down her legs. He sat them next to her shoes and she unbuttoned his pants. He pulled them down to his knees and spread her legs, placing himself in between them.

He pulled her dress up until she could feel the cold deck on her lower half. A raindrop hit her on the shoulder followed by a few more. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him into herself. He waited for a moment, knowing that her body wasn't quite ready. As he began thrusting into her the warm rain began to pour, drenching them.

Karen wrapped her arms around Will's neck and met his movements. She sighed into his mouth as he captured her lips once again. He tasted champagne on her tongue and it only added to the pleasure of feeling her around him again, making love under a torrential downpour.

He ran his hand up her leg, feeling the lace of her thigh high stockings. He thrust deeper as the rain continued to pour. She pulled him closer to her body and whimpered as he roughly sped up the pace. They came in unison, breathing heavily. He collapsed on top of her shivering body and tried to control his breath.

Will pulled out and pulled Karen's dress over her thighs so she wouldn't be exposed. He knew how self-conscious she was. He stood and pulled his boxers and pants back up. After adjusting his clothing he reached for her hand so he could help her stand. She used his shoulder for balance as she put her panties back on and slipped into her waterlogged shoes.

They were soaked from head-to-toe as they made their way back to her limo, hands clutching one another's tightly. Before they reached an area where people could see them, he stopped her and pulled her face to his. He kissed her gently and looked into her eyes. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"I don't know what we're doing, but I don't want it to stop."

"I'll be in a suite at the Palace hotel tomorrow at one." She whispered back. She pulled away and pecked his lips before walking around to the parking lot and getting into her limo. He watched as the taillights faded down the street.


	6. Chapter 6

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"Oh!" she loudly exclaimed as he pounded into her furiously. She could barely breathe, caught under a spell of pleasure and ecstasy. She rolled them over so she was on top and held onto his hands. She was almost bouncing on him, trying to make her orgasm strike her heavily. Once it did, she shook violently on top of him. He came as well.

She collapsed on his chest, her hair covering her face. Air was forcing its way into their lungs as he pulled out and she continued to lie on his chest. He kissed her forehead and pulled her chin up, searching for her lips. She looked up at him and kissed him deeply, letting her tongue slide along his bottom lip.

She rolled off of him, making sure she was covered, and sighed in satisfaction. He looked over to her. He was proud that he could have that effect on her. She was Karen Walker, high standards. He reached out and grabbed her hand.

"That was unbelievable." He smiled. She looked over to him and returned the smile.

"Yeah." She replied. She squeezed his hand and sat up. "Honey, would you mind looking away?" she asked.

"What's wrong with me seeing you in your bra? And why don't you let me take it off?" he asked as he turned his head away, throwing the condom in the trash can by the bed.

"Why does it matter to you?" she asked indifferently. She put her skirt on and pulled her shirt over her head.

"Well, I just figured you'd be proud of what you have."

"I have nothing. You're gay, remember? You know nothing about the female anatomy." She said harshly as she began putting her shoes on.

"I know how to make it come." He replied, turning over to look at her. She just continued to put her other shoe on. He leaned up and kissed the back of her neck. "And from the little of you that I've actually seen, I like. You're flawless." She stood quickly.

"Don't ever say that to me." She said as she walked over to the mirror and fixed her hair and makeup. She wiped off her smeared lipstick and reapplied. "Just tell me when we're doing this again." She said softly. He stood and put his boxers on before walking up behind her.

"You really want to continue this?" he asked as he looked into her eyes through the mirror. "What about Stan? What about our friends?"

"What about them?" she asked, turning around. "Honey, I'm not happy and you're not happy. Why can't we bring happiness back to each other every once in a while?

"I agree." He replied. "I don't think I've felt this good in years."

"Then when are we doing it again?" she asked with an indifferent look on her face.

"Saturday night? You could come over to my place."

"I'll be there at ten."

"What about Stan?"

"Honey, we sleep in different rooms. He'll never know." She replied as she grabbed her purse and began to walk towards the door. He rushed over to her and grabbed her arm. She turned to look at him, confused. He just leaned down and kissed her lips softly. She smiled to him and turned to leave. It was the first of the many times that they would go through this routine.

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A whole two months went by before any of them were aware of the passing time. Leo and Grace seemed happy with their marriage. Leo was off with Doctors Without Borders leaving Grace home alone in Brooklyn. She and Jack spent a lot of time at Will's apartment, which caused a slight kink in his and Karen's many rendezvous.

They began the first month seeing each other twice a week, usually Tuesday and Saturday. Nobody seemed suspicious and nobody asked any questions. But by the second month, they saw each other almost every night. It was like they were addicted to the moments they were together. Either that or they had become addicted to the sex.

One night Will invited Grace, Karen, and Jack over for pasta. They all arrived at took their seats at the table. Jack and Karen were fondling and joking around while Grace was telling Will about her latest venture with a homeless man on the subway.

"So, Karen, how is everything with you and Stan?" Grace asked halfway through their meal. Karen's head shot up, she was shocked.

"What do you mean, honey?" she asked. She decided that it was best to play dumb until she could control the situation.

"You remember. A little bit before my wedding, you and Stan were having problems. You know, the night he didn't come home."

"Oh, um, we're fine." She replied, unconvincingly. Jack looked at her.

"Karebear, why didn't you tell me you two were having problems? I would have been there for you." He said.

"We are fine. Stop attacking me." She replied. Will watched their exchange and decided that there was no need to let her squirm. But before he could speak up, Grace asked another stifling question.

"So who did you get that hickey from that night? If Stan wasn't home, then who?" she asked. She had wanted to ask the question for a while, but she could never bring it up.

"I, it was just, I mean…" Karen stuttered. She hadn't thought of any lies to tell. "I met a man at a bar after I left Jack's apartment. He got really drunk and wanted to make out. It really wasn't a big deal, honey."

"Why did it take you so long to answer the question, Kare?" Grace badgered. Will decided that he should help her out a little.

"Grace, would you really put it past Karen to make out with a complete stranger in a bar?" he said.

"Listen Wilma, at least I can still get some. You haven't had a real relationship in how many years?" Karen replied.

"Well at least_ I_ don't have to drench myself in gin to make sure I can't feel anything. Face it, Kare, you're empty."

"Fuck you." She said standing up and staring into his eyes. They didn't know how to act around everybody else so it always resulted in meaningless fights.

"No thanks, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, you bitch." He replied, standing as well.

"I'm surprised. You've gone so long without sex, I'll bet you'd jump anything with an opening." She said. It was really getting stupid and she knew she needed to leave before they gave anything away. She was thankful that Jack spoke up.

"Okay, stop it." He said, standing to meet their gazes. "Kare, you want to spend the night with me?"

"I don't know, Poodle." She said, cooling down.

"No pajama bottoms." He said in a singsong voice. She thought a minute.

"I'm in." she said as they made their way from Will's apartment and across the hall.

"What the hell was that?" Grace asked once she and Will were alone.

"What was what?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play stupid. You are always starting fights with her, trying to hurt her feelings."

"I was saving her from you." He said before he could keep his mouth shut.

"Whoa, saving her from me? What was I doing wrong?"

"You were harassing her. Her sex life is her business."

"Well how else am I supposed to find out all the juicy stuff? She's so secretive."

"If she wanted you to know then she would tell you."

"Why do you all of a sudden care about her? You two have always hated each other."

"I don't know. Maybe we have something in common. I just feel for her right now."

"Oh." She said. She didn't want to push him too much. She knew he had been hiding something from her, but she still wasn't sure what. "Well, hey, I think it's about time I get home." She said as she walked over to get her coat. "You should think about apologizing to Karen. She has more feelings than you think." She said before she left for home.

Will sighed and went to take a shower. He decided to clean up the kitchen after he showered. He wasn't sure if Karen would come over and he wanted to be ready if she did.

Karen waited until Jack was fast asleep before climbing out of bed. She was only wearing a pair of Jack's cotton pajamas, but she knew that it wouldn't matter for long. She snuck across the hallway and into Will's apartment. She walked through the door, locking it, and then turned around to find him cleaning up the kitchen.

"Hey honey." She said as she walked over and stood on the opposite side of the counter.

"Hi." He smiled. "I was hoping you'd come over. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I said tonight."

"Don't worry about it. I know what you were trying to do and I really appreciate it."

"I'm glad." He replied as he finished drying his last pan. "So, did you just come over for an apology?" he asked, smirking. She returned the smile and walked over in front of him.

"You know better." She said as she leaned up and kissed him roughly. He grabbed her around the waist and parted her lips with his tongue. She held onto him and ran her hands through his hair. He picked her up, causing her to wrap her legs around him, and carried her to his bedroom.

He closed the door by pushing her up against it. She sighed heavily as his hands began to roam all over her body. They had become a little bolder in their actions since their first few times together.

She broke the kiss and pulled his shirt over his head. He unbuttoned her shirt and kissed her neck. He then reached under her open shirt and wrapped an arm around her waist. He pulled her forward and took it from her body. He then turned around and tossed her onto the bed. He mounted her quickly and molded his body to hers. She rolled them over as their tongues massaged one another. After a moment she pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"I don't want you to judge me. Can I trust you?" she whispered.

"Always." He replied. She pecked his lips and sat up. She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. She pulled it down her arms and threw it to the ground. She looked into his eyes as she lifted his hands to cup her breasts. He returned her gaze and smiled softly.

He rolled them back over and took his pants and boxers down. He untied her pajama pants and took them down as well, along with her panties. He stood at the edge of the bed and looked down at her body. He had never seen her completely naked before. He lay on top of her and kissed her neck.

"You're beautiful, Kare." He said into her ear as he kissed her cheek. She smiled at the idea that somebody thought she was beautiful. Finally, somebody she could fully trust.

They became one, once again. However, they were together with a newfound respect for one another. Karen felt completely safe in his arms and Will couldn't have been happier about that.

They fulfilled each other's needs and Karen stood from the bed, redressing. She kissed him deeply before leaving to go back over to Jack's. She reached the bed to realize that he hadn't moved an inch since she left. She smiled and crawled into bed with him. She quickly fell asleep. Little did she know, Jack actually was awake and noticed the faint smell of Will's aftershave on his best friend's pale skin.


	7. Chapter 7

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It had been two weeks since Jack smelled Will on Karen. He hadn't said anything, but he watched them like a hawk. He could tell that they were off, but he couldn't tell what was going on.

One day at lunch Jack decided to confront Will about what he thought was going on. He didn't want to damage their friendship, but he felt like he needed to know what was going on. And since it was harder than hell to get anything out of Karen, Will was the first option.

"Will, I have a question." Jack stated as he walked into Will's office. He sat down across from one of his best friends and looked at him.

"I'm really busy Jack. Could it wait until later?"

"I don't think so." He replied. "I just wanted to know what's going on with you and Karen." Will froze.

"What do you mean?" he asked, putting his pen down on his desk.

"It's like you two have a secret friendship or something, except you aren't friends when Grace and I are around. What's going on?"

"Look, its nothing. Karen is having trouble with her marriage and I'm dealing with some stuff. We've just been helping each other out."

"What do you have to help each other with?"

"Loneliness." Will admitted. "We are both incredibly lonely, Jack. It's just a matter of how to deal with it."

"You could have come to me, you know."

"I know. It just sort of happened this way. We're just friends." He said, knowing full on that it was an extreme stretch of the truth.

"Oh." Jack said. "I guess that kind of explains why she came back to my apartment the other night smelling like your aftershave." Will was relieved that Jack was a little too dense to connect all the dots.

After Jack left, Will called Karen at work. He wanted to warn her that Jack was asking questions. He waited for her to answer the phone, but it was Grace who answered.

"Grace Adler Designs."

"Hey Gracie, you want to go to lunch?"

"Oh, hi Will. No, sorry. I have to have a two hour lunch with a client. She says that she has to get a feel for who I am by how I eat and how I make conversation."

"Please don't eat butter by itself. It's not charming."

"Thanks." She said sarcastically. "I have to get there soon so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, love you, Gracie." He said as he hung up the phone. He hadn't heard from Karen since she left his room the night before the last and decided that he would pay her a visit. He grabbed his coat and briefcase before locking up his office and leaving for hers.

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He walked up to the door of Grace's office and opened it slightly to peek in. What he saw alarmed him. Karen was sitting at her desk, with her face down, sobbing. She must not have expected anyone to visit so she let her walls down. He knocked and walked through the door. She jumped and wiped the tears away from her face before turning to see who it was. She sighed when she saw his eyes, pitying her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, coldly. She pushed past him and locked the door.

"I just came to see you. What's wrong?" he asked as he watched her pull her shirt off over her head. "Karen, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" she asked as she undid his pants. She then pushed them down to the floor. "Isn't this what you're here for?"

"No." he said as he pushed her hands away from his boxers. He pulled up his pants and looked at her. "I wanted to see how you were? I haven't seen you in a couple of days."

"I'm fine, honey." She replied, building back her walls. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him on the lips, biting softly on his bottom lip before pulling away.

"Would you put your shirt back on?" He asked harshly. She frowned and obeyed. "Why were you crying?" he asked. She gave him a dirty look and pulled her eyes away from his. She walked back over to her desk and sat down, picking up her martini and taking a sip.

"I don't do emotions, honey."

"Karen, you don't have to pretend with me." He said as he sat on the edge of her desk. She looked up into his face and took a deep breath.

"You remember when the condom broke a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah." He replied, hoping she wasn't going where he thought she was.

"Honey, I'm late." She said, hardening her gaze.

"Oh my gosh. It's not…"

"I don't know if I am yet. All I do know is that I haven't had sex with Stan in the past three months." She confessed. He began to panic.

"How late?"

"Five days." She winced.

"Okay, grab your purse." He said, roughly pulling her up from her seat.

"Why? Where are we going?" she asked as she got her purse from the coat rack.

"We are going to the doctor." He said. She stopped and glared at him. "We have to know." He said as he pulled her out of the office.

They took a cab to her doctor's office. Karen complained about the cab, but didn't object when she had to get in. She went through the checkup and waited in the waiting room with Will.

"Honey, I don't know what I'm going to do if that test comes back positive." She confessed.

"Don't worry until we get the results." He replied. He grabbed her hand and held it, giving her comfort. Just then, a tall brunette sat down next to Karen.

"I'd give anything to not have to be here." The young woman said in a thick British accent. "What are you here for?"

"Oh, I just had a few tests run. I haven't been feeling too well lately."

"Lucky you, I think I may be pregnant." She said. "And it's the worst timing. My lover hasn't even left his wife yet." Karen's head shot up to look at this woman.

"You're pregnant with a married man's child?" she asked, unkindly.

"Who the bloody hell are you to judge me?"

"I'm sorry. It's just not very conventional."

"Oh, I know." She said as she began to cry. "I wish he would have just pulled out. Damn that Stanly Walker." Karen's heart stopped. Will looked over and tightened his grip on her hand.

"Mrs. Walker." called a nurse as she walked into the waiting room. Karen stood and looked down to the mortified woman who was sitting next to her. She reached out and shook her hand.

"By the way, I'm Karen Walker. Nice to meet you instead of just hearing you scream in climax while fucking my husband in my bed." She walked over to the nurse, Will close behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

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After finding out that Karen wasn't pregnant, Will took her back to his office. She asked him to be her divorce lawyer and wanted him to draw up some papers. She couldn't take it anymore.

Will didn't know how to react. He was, however, relieved to know that he wasn't going to be a father. There was nothing right about their situation and it would have been damaging to everyone if they were to bring a baby into the world.

"How easy would it be for me to get everything?" Karen asked, sipping a drink that she had made in Will's office.

"Well, since he had an affair and you've been married longer than the pre-nup is dated for, I think you have a pretty fair shot." He said.

"I want to try for everything." She said, sitting across from him indifferently.

"But if you had an affair at any time during your marriage, you could end up with only half, maybe less." He said, giving her a warning glare. She leaned forward and motioned for him to do the same.

"I haven't told anyone about us. Have you, honey?"

"No I haven't." he said, looking down and noticing that her shirt had gaped open to reveal a large amount of cleavage. He quickly looked back into her eyes. She smiled, knowing exactly what he was looking at and sat back.

"Well, I've never cheated. I'm going to give him these papers tonight and we'll see what happens from there." She said as she stood and headed for the door. She stopped before she reached for the doorknob. "Honey," she began. "I'm sorry for everything today."

"It's not your fault, Kare." he replied, standing up and meeting her at the door. "I'll drop the papers by Grace's office at around five." She nodded and he leaned down and kissed her lips. They both felt an intense spark that wasn't usually as strong. It felt deeper and more personal, but that could have been because they spent the whole day together without affection. Whatever the reason, they both awkwardly backed away and said a soft goodbye.

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"Stanly, I need to talk to you." Karen said as she walked through the doors of her husband's library. He was seated on an overstuffed couch while reading a book. He looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Is it really that important, darling? I'm reading." He replied, but soon turned angry when Karen pulled the book from his hands and threw it across the room. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" He shouted as he stood from the couch.

"I brought you these papers and I think you should look over them and sign them." She said as she handed him their divorce papers. She sat on the edge of his desk and stirred her martini. "I'll just wait here." He flipped through the pages.

"You psycho bitch!" he harassed. "You can't really expect to get everything!"

"Oh no, honey, I do." she said, walking over to him and­­ looking up into his eyes callously. "You see I have every right to get everything because I'm not the one fucking around."

"Of course you are. Where do you go almost every night of the week?"

"I go out with friends and sometimes I spend the night with Jack. Either way, I don't have to answer to you anymore. We're finished."

"We're not finished until I sign these papers. And I'm not sure if I want to do that." He said, knowing exactly how to push her buttons.

"What do you need a trophy wife for when you have that lofty British whore to show off?"

"You really think that you're a trophy wife?" he asked, laughing evilly. "You haven't been considered a trophy wife since you hit one hundred and twenty-five pounds, lard ass. You have no chances on your own because nobody will ever want you."

"I'd rather be alone forever than stuck in a marriage with you." She said, throwing his statement back in his face.

"You say that now, but when you really are alone you'll be singing a different tune. Because you know that the only reason your friends like you is for money, my money. And once you don't have that, they'll all leave you. Nobody wants you. You're worthless." He said. She slapped him hard across the face and glared at him.

"You fucking cunt!" he shouted and backhanded her. She hit the ground, hard, and cradled her face in her hands. She didn't move.

Stan walked over to the desk and signed the papers. He then walked over to where Karen sat and threw them at her. He leaned down and pulled her ear up to his lips, causing her to wince.

"I signed your papers. Now get your shit and get out." He said before straightening up and walking out the door.

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Karen and Rosario rushed around her closet, gathering all of her clothes and shoes. She had four large suitcases that she was throwing things into. Rosario hadn't asked too many questions, she saw the bruise forming on Karen's cheek.

They loaded the suitcases and all of her personal items into her limo. Once they got inside the limo, Karen was lost. She didn't know where to go. Leo had just returned home so going to stay with Grace wasn't an option. Jack didn't have too much extra room so her only choice was Will. She only hoped that he would let her stay.

They reached the door of Will's apartment about ten minutes later. She knocked softly, hoping he wasn't busy. It was only seven thirty so she knew he wasn't asleep. She hoped that her visit would be welcomed.

"Karen, Rosario, what are you doing here?" he asked as he opened the door. He noticed the suitcases and looked into Karen's eyes. It was then that he saw the bruise on her cheek. He reached up to touch her face. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I just gave Stan the divorce papers. He signed them and told me to get my shit and get out." She explained. She felt so vulnerable while standing in front of Will. "Honey, can I spend the night?" she finally asked, looking to the ground.

"Of course you can." He said, reaching out and hugging her. "Rosario, do you mind sleeping on the couch?" he asked.

"No, I don't mind. It's probably softer than my bed." She said as she carried two of the large suitcases into the guest room. Once she was out of earshot, Will kissed Karen's lips, quickly.

"I really am fine, honey." She said, pulling her other suitcases into the living room. He grabbed some boxes from the hallway and carried them as well. "Don't worry. I won't be here for too long. I just have to find another place to stay."

"You can stay here as long as you want." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. She just smiled, softly.

"Only if you'll hold me." She said. He was taken aback by the sweetness in her voice. He had never heard her sound so sincere and needy. He just nodded his head and walked over to get some blankets to put on the couch for Rosario. She came out of the guest room and thanked Will. Karen turned to her beloved maid. "Honey, I need some girl talk so Will and I are going to go to his room."

"Okay, I'll yell if I need anything. Goodnight." She said as she lay on the couch. Will and Karen made their way to his bedroom and crawled into his bed together. He held her close as she told him that Stan had hit her for the first time in their marriage. He held her and urged her to let her walls down. She finally did and ended up crying herself to sleep in Will's arms.


	9. Chapter 9

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Jack and Grace weren't shocked about Karen wanting to divorce her husband. They were, however, shocked to learn that she was staying with Will. They understood why he was her choice, but they were also taking bets to see how long it would take for their friends to kill one another.

Karen had been living with him for four days. He was surprised that they hadn't fought much. She even helped with some of the housework. It wasn't anything big, but she would dust and clean the windows.

On laundry day, Will knocked on Karen's bedroom door and waited for her to let him in. She opened the door and smiled. He offered to wash some of her clothes and she handed him her laundry basket. She walked back over to her bed as he began making his way out of her room. He stopped when he saw what she was doing.

"Karen is that cocaine?" he asked, shocked. He knew that she took pills and drank a lot, but he had no idea that she was into hard drugs.

"Yeah, so?" she replied. He stared at her, awaiting further explanation. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I did it once when I was a teenager. I just wanted to try it again."

"Why? What's the point?" he said, sitting down next to her on the bed.

"I don't know." She said, looking into his eyes. "I just want to forget everything right now, okay?"

"Why don't you just read a book or rent a movie? Not this."

"I'm pretty sure a book couldn't create this kind of buzz." She joked. He laughed a little. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. "Why don't you do a line with me?" she asked.

"No." he said, pulling back from her. "Are you crazy?"

"Oh, come on. I hear it makes sex _so_ much better." She said, hoping to reel him in. Instead, he picked the mirror up from her bed and walked over to the window. He threw it out and turned back to look at her. She was standing behind him with an angry expression on her face. "What the hell is your problem? I hadn't even used any of it yet!" she yelled.

"And you won't. It could kill you, Karen!"

"You have no right to tell me what I can and can't do!" she shouted, following him out of her room. He stopped behind the couch and looked at her.

"You're the one who asked to stay here! You're the one who chose this apartment! So, you're the one who has to follow the rules that I've set!"

"I'm not a child, Will! I can do whatever I want!"

"Even if it means killing yourself for a buzz?" he asked. "If you want to kill yourself then do it, but fucking do it right. Don't make me watch you suffer." Silence filled the air after his last statement.

"Honey, don't say it like that." She said, softly.

"Well, how else do you want me to say it?" he replied. "That's exactly what you're doing, Kare. You're just slowly killing yourself. I care about you too much to watch." He began to walk into the kitchen.

"Honey, no." she said, following closely behind. "I don't do the hard stuff, I swear. It was just going to be this one time. Please don't be angry with me."

"Its not just that." He said, avoiding her gaze. "I have to tell you something." When he didn't continue she grabbed his hand.

"You can tell me anything."

"I met someone." He confessed. He looked into her eyes, noticing that she didn't seem too concerned. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Why?" she replied. "It's really none of my business." She said as she walked over and poured herself a drink. "What's his name? It is a man right?"

"Yes, it's a man. His name is Vince and he's a cop."

"How long have you been seeing him?" she asked, unable to show the sadness she felt at this new discovery.

"About two weeks." Her eyes widened.

"Honey, we've had sex almost every night since I've been here." She whispered. "Is this really the way you want to start your relationship? I mean, its fine when we're lonely, but…"

"Actually, I wanted to make sure you and I could still continue." He replied, shyly. He knew that he would miss her terribly if they were to stop their, whatever they had.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I mean, we've kept us a secret for months and I kind of like being able to trust someone." He admitted. She smiled when he looked into her eyes.

"I like it too." She said. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He lifted her onto the counter and placed himself between her legs. His tongue entered her mouth as the telephone began to ring. "Ignore it." She demanded while running her hands through his hair. It continued to ring and soon the answering machine picked up. Their tongues continued to battle.

"Mr. Truman, this is Mr. Stanton, Stanly Walker's attorney. I am calling to inform you that Mr. Walker has passed away. He had a heart attack yesterday and was found earlier this morning. Please inform Mrs. Walker that his residence is now in her name, including all of his assets and companies. Please return my call as soon as you receive this message. Thank you."

Will and Karen didn't move. They looked into each other's eyes, neither knowing what to say. Karen was relieved that she could finally move back home, but her husband was dead.

"Well, ain't that a kick in the pants." She whispered. He hugged her, giving her any comfort that she might need. She just let him hug her, not allowing herself to feel any kind of emotion.

"I'm sorry, Kare." He said, hoping that the seemingly empty words could somehow help her heart mend.


	10. Chapter 10

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Three months had passed as the four friends lived their lives. Will and Vince had been going strong. Grace and Leo were fixing a few problems in their relationship. Jack was moving forward with his acting class. Karen was engaged to marry Lyle Finster.

She met Lyle when she went to harass his daughter, Lorraine. It was a mere coincidence that she fell for the father of her ex-husband's mistress, but she didn't care. She didn't want to be alone in her manse any longer. She needed to really be with someone.

Karen and Will saw each other regularly, sharing secrets and making love. It was especially hard to make time for one another since they were both in relationships, but they did it. They knew that they were each other's only link to the real world.

"Hey, Kare, how are you?" Will asked when he called her one evening. Lyle was visiting some family and she was home alone.

"I'm fine. How are you? Why are you calling so late?" she asked, sitting up in bed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was so late. You weren't sleeping were you?"

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're talking fast and avoiding the real reason you called. Something's wrong." He sighed into the phone and finally revealed his reason for calling.

"I broke up with Vince."

"What? Honey, I thought you loved him. What happened?"

"I guess I really don't love him. I mean, I'm not sure what love really is, but I know that I can't find it with him. I don't feel it."

"What don't you feel?"

"I don't know. I just don't get the feeling with him that I get when I'm with you." There was silence on the line before Karen responded.

"Honey, do you want to come over or something?" she asked.

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He kissed all the way down her chest, making her sigh in pleasure. She felt him unclasp her bra and run his hands over her breasts. He pulled her pajama pants down and stripped the rest of his clothes off as well. Once he pulled her panties off, he kissed her. Without warning he rolled her over onto her stomach. He lay on her back and reached his hands underneath her. Once he rolled her hips towards him with his hands, he pushed into her center and immediately began to thrust.

She groaned at the thought of not being able to move and cause her own friction. He eased up when he felt her begin to squirm beneath him. She pushed herself up on her hands and knees, allowing him more access. He gladly accepted the new position and pushed harder. After a moment her first orgasm overtook her.

Will ran his fingers through her hair and pulled roughly, causing her to whimper a little. He ran his free hand down the front of her body and rubbed her clit. She came quickly and allowed him to fulfill his own needs. Once his needs were met they both collapsed on the bed, heavily breathing. He pulled out and rolled her over to face him. He laid his body on top of hers and kissed her tenderly, running his tongue over her lips. He kissed his way down to her ear.

"Will you say it?" he whispered as he sucked on her earlobe.

"I can't, honey." She replied, knowing exactly what he meant. He was feeling lonely and unloved. He needed to know that someone cared about him.

"Please. I won't take it for more than it is." He replied, kissing her lips once again. She pulled back and hugged him to her body, kissing his cheek before bringing her lips to his ear.

"I love you." She said, wishing he knew how much she wanted to be allowed to mean it.

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Lyle was due home any moment. Karen knew that he would expect to make love, but she could hardly ever bring herself to feel the same way. Instead of trying to get herself turned on or excited, she drank. She drank a lot.

After a few uppers and a bottle of whisky, Karen welcomed her fiancé home. She hugged him and smiled when he walked through the door. He kissed her and they made their way to the bedroom. She made sure the room was completely dark as they moved towards the bed.

He kissed down her neck and unbuttoned her shirt, kissing her chest on his way down. She stayed still as he pulled her pants off and kissed up her legs. His mustache tickled her outter thigh as he made his way up her body. He pulled away and shrugged off his clothes. Once he reached her body again he attempted to take her bra off.

"No, please." She said softly. He stopped his attempt and slipped into her instead. He kissed her neck as he pounded into her, desperately trying to fulfill his own needs. He held her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She lay still as she manipulated him into believing that she was enjoying every moment. In reality she felt like crying. She didn't like him inside her and she hated the feeling of him using her. She never got any pleasure from him. Still, she couldn't allow herself to be alone. Maybe Stan was right. Maybe she was worthless.


	11. Chapter 11

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"I'm thinking of breaking it off with Finster." Karen said as Jack painted her toenails. He stopped his task and looked into her eyes.

"Are you sure, Kare? What happened?" he asked. She placed her magazine down on her desk and joined his gaze.

"Nothing." She said. "I've just been thinking. Can I tell you something?" she asked. He nodded. "Promise you won't judge me."

"I promise."

"Okay, well, when I gave Stan our divorce papers he said something that kind of got to me. He said that once he was gone I would be left with nothing and that you, Grace, and Will only like me for my money. And, Poodle, do you think I'm worthless?" she asked, leaning over and looking into his eyes. He would have normally tried to ignore her display of actual feelings, but the look in her eyes told him how serious she really was.

"Karen, of course you're not worthless. You mean more to me than anyone in the world." He said, full heartedly. "And after what Stan did to you, why would you ever be able to believe a word he said?"

"I don't know, honey. Maybe I am overreacting." She said as she slid her feet from her desk to the floor.

"Can I tell you something about yourself without you getting mad at me?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder as he stood up. She nodded and looked up into his eyes. "You are wonderful. You just try to hide any kind of emotion that demonstrates happiness or love. I mean, we have so much fun together, but you never really let yourself be happy. Maybe you should stop worrying about the outcome of things and just go with the flow sometimes." He said.

"Maybe you're right." She sighed. She wasn't sure what it was about Jack's statement that made her even more cheerless than she was before. He sensed it and leaned down to kiss her lips softly. She looked at him, shocked. "And you're not worthless. I love you." He said before he walked out the office door.

She smiled at his admission and felt warmth envelope her heart. It was a feeling that was rare for her and she liked it. She really needed his advice though. He only told her a few things about her personality, but she still didn't know what to do about Lyle. She knew that she never loved him and it made her feel guilty for leading him on. As her thoughts ran through her mind she heard the office phone ring. She grimaced before picking it up, something she hardly ever did.

"Grace Adler Designs." She answered, in an upbeat tone of voice.

"Hey. What are you doing?" asked Will, smiling when he heard her voice.

"Oh, hi honey. I'm just waiting until its time to go home." She replied. He heard the drop in her voice when she realized that she didn't have to put up a façade. "Why, what are you doing?"

"I was just thinking about you."

"Ew stop being mushy." She said, scowling.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"If you don't tell me then I'm coming over there." He threatened.

"It won't matter. All we do is fuck and then go our separate ways."

"Stop talking like that. You know you mean more to me than just a fuck-buddy." He said, getting a little bit angry. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want to marry Lyle." She admitted. He didn't say anything so she continued. "I don't love him, honey. I can't keep giving things up so he'll be happy. It's eating me alive."

"Karen, why didn't you tell me?" Will asked. "I'm always here for you."

"I know, honey." She replied. "I guess it's the same thing you were going through with Vince. He just doesn't make me feel like I do when I'm with you. Isn't that weird?"

"No. We only want the best for ourselves. Maybe we're trying to find other people who can measure up."

"Maybe." She said, trailing off into thought. "Wait, why are you calling?"

"I just wanted to see if you were free for lunch."

"I am, but I'm afraid I won't be much good to you." She said before whispering. "It's my time of the month."

"Why can't you understand that I just want to talk to you?"

"I'm sorry. Where do you want me to meet you?"

"I'll order us something to be delivered to my office if you want to come over here."

"Sure. Grace should be back soon. I can leave then."

"Okay I'll see you. I love…" he began, but stopped himself before he could finish. What did he almost say to her? How could he almost let something like that slip?

"Okay, see ya, honey." She replied, hanging up before he could give her an excuse for his minor infraction. She didn't want to face the fact that he may have real feelings for her. That could definitely complicate their situation.

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"I know you didn't just want me over here for lunch. What do you need to talk about?" Karen asked as she took a sip of her martini.

"I really did just want you over here for lunch. Believe it or not, I like spending time with you." He replied. She scoffed.

"No you don't." she said, somewhat bitterly. "You've been trying to say something to me for weeks. Stop being such a fairy and just say it."

"Why don't you feel guilty about us?" he harassed. "I mean, you walk around with your head held high, in your expensive clothes, without a care in the world."

"Are you kidding? This is killing me, Will. I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore."

"Then why do we do this?"

"I don't know. Why _do_ we do this?"

Silence filled the office as they sat staring into each other's eyes. They knew that they were treading on thin ice. They both knew how to push the other's buttons so silence was always the best idea. Eventually Karen was the one to break the silence.

"Let's just not talk about it right now." She said, standing from her seat. She took the last sip of her drink and walked over to where Will sat. She leaned down and kissed him hard on the mouth. He responded and felt himself grow hard when she straddled him in her skirt. "How about I help you forget?" she whispered against his lips.

She kissed down his neck and unbuckled his pants. She pulled his pants down off of his hips, bringing his boxers down with them. She reached in between their bodies and took him in her hand. She stroked him, feeling him groan in her mouth. She pulled away from their kiss and smiled before getting down on her knees in front of him.

"Kare…" he began, but couldn't continue. She took him in her mouth, effectively silencing him. He leaned his head back as she licked all the way around him. She began to suck as she made her way to the tip of his erection. She once again took him all the way in her mouth, faster than the time before. He reached down and ran his hands through her hair.

As she worked with her mouth she reached behind his balls with her hand and massaged the sensitive skin. He sighed heavily as he felt himself coming closer to his orgasm. He wasn't surprised that Karen was sexually talented, but he was surprised that she would actually perform oral sex. Her talent showed that there was a lot about her that he still didn't know.

He shuddered as he came in her mouth. He had a hold on her hair so she couldn't pull away. She swallowed, a little unwillingly, taking note that he tasted faintly sweet. He untangled his hands from her hair and she took her mouth off of him. She sat on the floor in front of his chair and combed through her hair with her fingers, hoping to make herself look presentable.

"How was that?" she smirked, wiping the corners of her mouth. He thought she looked so sexy when she did that and hoped that she knew how much she turned him on.

"That was amazing." He replied, pulling his pants up and buckling his belt. She smiled knowingly and stood from the floor. She leaned close to his ear and whispered.

"Are you relaxed?" she asked, licking his earlobe. He nodded. "Good. I hope you plan on returning the favor someday." She said before leaning back and smiling. She kissed his lips softly, running her tongue over his bottom lip. After breaking the kiss she walked over to get her coat and purse. "Call me, honey." She said before walking out his office door.

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'Why do I always do stupid shit like that?' she wondered as her limo took her back to Grace's office. She hadn't planned on using any kind of sexual means when she agreed to go and eat lunch with Will. But all of a sudden he began to talk about feelings and their situation. She wasn't sure how she felt about their situation. There was no way she could talk about what she didn't understand. To stop him from opening his mouth she used hers, but in a completely different way.

She hated performing oral sex. It made her feel dirty. But for some reason she felt okay giving it to Will. She not only trusted him immensely, but she respected him. He had been by her side through thick and thin, helping her and encouraging her. So why was it so hard for her to just sit and talk to him?


	12. Chapter 12

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About a week later Karen finally got up enough courage to talk with Lyle. She met him at the front door as he came home from work. She sat a couple of suitcases down by his feet and looked into his eyes before breaking the news.

"You don't want to marry me?" Lyle asked in his thick accent. "Why not?"

"I'm sorry, darling. I just can't." she replied. She didn't want to tell him the whole reason for calling off their engagement. It was bad enough that she was asking him to leave, let alone tell him that she never loved him.

"Very well then." He replied. He picked up his suitcases that Karen had one of her maids pack for him. "I'll always love you Karen." He leaned down and attempted to kiss her lips, but she turned her head and he kissed her cheek instead. He pulled away and looked into her apologetic eyes. He walked out the door, never looking back.

Karen didn't shed any tears. She felt relief for having finally called off her engagement. It wasn't right and she knew that from the start. Instead of false grieving she made herself a martini.

After she guzzled her drink she decided to just get a bottle. She looked through her liquor cabinet and grabbed whichever she thought was the strongest. She took a few amphetamines and a couple of extreme pain killers before lying down on the couch and drinking through half of the bottle in her hand. She looked at the pattern of the ceiling and began to think less about her life. That was what she loved the most about combining pills and alcohol; the numbness that enveloped her body and mind. Everything felt serene and beautiful.

A ringing telephone pulled her mind into a little more focus. She blinked a few times before reaching for the phone on the table behind her. It took her a moment to put the phone to he ear and answer.

"Hello?" she said into the phone, weak and distant.

"Kare?" asked Jack. "Are you alright? You sound weird."

"Oh, hey Poodle." She replied, fighting off her urge to fall asleep. "Maybe you should call back later. I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"You're okay though, right?"

"Of course I am. Goodbye, honey." She said, hanging up on her best friend.

Jack was confused. She never just hung up on him. He began to get worried and decided that maybe he should go over to her manse and make sure she was alright. As he walked out the door of his apartment he found Will walking towards the elevator.

"Hey, Jack. Where are you off to?" Will asked as they met one another at the doors.

"I just got off the phone with Karen." Jack didn't notice how Will's eyes lit up at the sound of her name. "I think something's really wrong with her."

"Why would you say that?" he asked, already beginning to worry. They walked into the elevator and Jack pushed the button for the lobby.

"I don't know. She didn't sound like herself on the phone a minute ago. I think she's really drunk."

"Karen's drunk? I didn't think her body responded to alcohol." He replied. Jack glared at him.

"It's probably not a big deal. I just want to be there incase she starts to choke on her own vomit." He said, sort of nonchalantly.

"Do you have to do this a lot?" Will asked. He was worried about Karen. She always tried to hide all of her flaws so he was surprised that she would even allow Jack to see any of her weaknesses.

"I used to have to a lot; I haven't had to do it for a while. I guess it's because she broke up with Finster."

"She did."

"Yeah, she called me before she left Grace's office to tell me." He replied. Will's mind went blank with concern for Karen.

"Would you mind if I went instead?" He asked. Jack gave him a shocked expression. "She and I have been getting closer and I kind of want to be there for her."

"I guess that'd be okay." Jack replied, a little leery of letting Will see his best friend's weaker side. "Just have her call me later."

"I will." He said as he walked away from the seemingly long elevator ride. Jack let the doors close in front of him as he pushed the button to his floor, all the while wondering what was really going on with Will.

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"Karen." Will called as he walked through the front door of her manse. He got no reply so he hung his coat on the coat rack and walked down the hallway. He opened the door of her living room and peeked inside. He gasped in horror as he walked over to the couch where Karen lay, passed out with an empty bottle clutched in her hand. He shook her and tried to get her to open her eyes. "Karen."

He checked her pulse, noting that it was regular. After a moment of trying to wake her, his worry tuned into rage. How could she do this to herself without even caring? He turned her onto her side, hearing the bottle clank to the floor. He then walked to her bathroom upstairs and filled the bathtub with cold water. He waited until it was full before walking back downstairs and throwing Karen over his shoulder. She didn't even budge.

He carried her upstairs and into the bathroom where he decided to take her shoes off. There was no need to ruin a good pair of heels. After doing so, he positioned her in his arms and dropped her into the cold water.

He watched her open her eyes underwater and quickly rise up, gasping and sputtering. She tried to stand but fell to her knees in the water. Instead of trying to stand again she grabbed hold of the side of the tub and rolled out onto the floor. She looked around the bathroom, vision completely blurred, for the cause of her rude awakening.

"Will?! What the hell is your problem?!" she shrieked, still sitting on the floor, shivering.

"What is your problem?!" he shouted back. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"You have no right to come into my house without an invitation!" She stood on legs of water and began to shed her clothes. "And you made me lose my contacts, you prick!" she mumbled angrily. He watched as she stripped all of her clothes off and grabbed her bathrobe. He realized that he had never seen her naked in the daylight. He had never taken time to really look at her body, which was a shame. He shook his thoughts from his mind, remembering that he was infuriated.

"Karen, this isn't healthy! What if you would have choked on your own vomit?!" he shouted. "Or worse, you could have…"

"I could have what, Will?! Gotten a vicious case of alcohol poisoning and died. Overdosed on the amount of pills I took and died. Why do you give a shit?! If I want to die then let me!" He listened to her yell at him and watched as pain etched its way onto her face, whether she wanted it there or not. He didn't know what to say. It never occurred to him that she could be so displeased about her life. He calmed down when he heard her admission.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, softly. She took a deep breath, calming herself down as well.

"I don't know, honey. I just want the choice." She replied. He reached out to touch her arm, but she slapped him away. She then walked over to her cabinet and put a pair of glasses on. "I'm alive. You should go." She said as she walked into her bedroom. She pulled a bottle of pills out of her night table and poured two into her hand. Will walked over and snatched the bottle from her grasp. She looked up at him, outraged. "It's aspirin, jackass." She said, snatching the pills back.

"I'm sorry." He replied. He sat on the edge of her bed and watched her down the pills with a glass of water. She looked adorable in her glasses, her shoulder length hair still dripping from her unforeseen submersion.

"What?" she bitterly questioned. He patted the bed next to him, motioning for her to take a seat. She rolled her eyes and complied.

"You don't really want to kill yourself do you?" he asked. She sighed heavily.

"No I don't, honey." She replied. He smiled in relief and put his arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"Just please don't do it again. You have no idea what it's like to walk in and find someone you care about lying unconscious with an empty bottle in their hand. I was so worried, Kare."

"I know. Honey, I just needed a break. You won't let me do cocaine so I had to resort to an old fashioned high." She joked. He glared at her, importance taking possession of his features. "sorry." She whispered.

"I'm serious. You have a problem." He said, finally making contact with her eyes. She scoffed.

"I do not."

"Yes you do. Jack was the one who was originally going to come over here. He said he comes over and sits with you when you're like this."

"He does?" she asked as her body stiffened.

"Yes. A lot." He replied. "Please get help." She pushed him away from her still chilled body.

"Let's not talk about this right now." She said standing in front of him. She leaned down and captured his lips with hers. She untied her robe and pressed her body against his. He pushed her off of him and held her hands in his.

"We can't just keep putting things off." He reasoned. She gave him a dirty look and pulled her hands away from his. She stood from his lap and retied her robe.

"Then maybe you should leave." She said, walking over to the other side of her bed and pulling the covers back. She grabbed a book and sat under the covers waiting for Will to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said, pulling the book from her hands. "Not until you admit that you have a problem."

"Okay, honey, you know what? Maybe I do drink a lot. And maybe I take a few too many pills, but I have control over all of it. I don't have a problem."

"Then do me a favor. To show me that you can go without all of this stuff I want you to stop for two days." She gave him a look of annoyance, but before she could reply he continued. "If you have no symptoms of withdrawal then I will believe that you don't have a problem."

"And you'll leave me alone about it?"

"Yes. But if you can't do it, you have to admit that you do have a problem and let me help you get rid of it." He finished, glad that he finally had enough courage to bring this up to her. She thought for a moment before replying.

"Fine." She agreed. He nodded and leaned up to kiss her. She allowed him to do so and sighed when she felt his tongue slip through her lips. She pulled away before she couldn't say no. "I'll see you later."

"That's it. Just a kiss?" she smirked.

"Honey, if I have to go without something I like, so do you." She said. He smiled and pecked her lips again.

"Have it your way." He said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Jack. "Hey, Karen and I decided that she's going off of everything for the next two days. I need you to come over here and spend every waking moment with her until our deal is up." Karen's heart dropped when she realized that he was really serious about this. After he hung up she looked at him.

"You don't trust me?" she asked. He laughed softly and patted her hand.

"Not a chance in hell." He said. She smiled when she decided that it was wise of him not to trust her when it came to something like that. But she didn't have a problem.


	13. Chapter 13

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Jack had arrived a little while after Will's phone call. He was excited to learn about Will and Karen's bet. He too had been worried about her unhealthy habits ever since he met her. He was glad that somebody finally got her to at least look at the error in her ways.

She awoke feeling only a slight pain in her head. She rolled over and jumped a little as she found Jack staring at her. He smiled as she stood from the bed.

"Morning Poodle." She greeted, putting her slippers and glasses on and getting ready to head to the kitchen.

"Good morning Karebear." He replied, standing from the bed and grabbing her hand. They walked down to the kitchen together, making small talk along the way.

They sat down at the table and Rosario poured them two cups of coffee. Will had found her before he left the night before and told her that pills and alcohol were not allowed. When Karen took a sip of her coffee she nearly spit it across the table.

"Ew, is this what coffee is supposed to taste like?" she asked, completely disgusted.

"Yes, Miss Karen." Rosario said, secretly happy as well that Karen had accepted the bet.

"Well, it's repulsive." She replied. Jack laughed and she gave him a death glare. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." He replied. "Let's go get dressed." He pulled her up from her seat and they rushed into her closet. She was angry that she lost her contact lenses and she would have to wear her glasses for a while. She really wanted a martini. It was then she decided that the next two days were going to be harder than she imagined.

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"Grace, would you stop breathing down my neck?" Karen snarled as she sat at her desk, going through a magazine.

"I'm all the way across the room." Grace replied. Her assistant looked up from the magazine and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry." She said. She looked over to Jack who was sitting on the couch under the window. She had gone ten hours without any pills or alcohol. She didn't know that it would be so hard. Her head was pounding and she was sweating more than she had in the past year. The biggest problem, she was so cold that it caused her to shiver. She wondered how a person could feel cold at the same time that they were sweating.

"How are you feeling, Karebear?" Jack asked, raising his head from his magazine. "You look really pale."

"I'm fine, honey." She replied. She was beginning to feel nauseous.

"Are you sure?" He stood and walked over to stand by her desk. He leaned down and looked into her eyes.

"Yes. Why do you keep asking so many questions? I told you I'm fine so I am." She snapped. She realized that she may have hurt his feelings and tried to backtrack without seeming too tactful. "Sorry, honey." He just smiled softly.

"It's okay Kare." He replied. "Hey, you want to go to dinner tonight? We'll invite Will and Grace."

"No, Poodle. I don't feel so hot. I think I'm going to just go home and go to bed." She replied. Normally the idea of going to dinner with Will and Grace would have been great. However, in her current state, she didn't feel like going out.

"You can leave now if you're not feeling well." Grace said from her desk. "It's six o'clock anyways."

"Thanks, Gracie. Maybe I will go home." Karen said as she tidied up her desk. "I'll see you tomorrow." She stood from her chair and swayed for a moment.

"Karen?" Jack spoke, startled by the fact that she wasn't moving. She just kept her gaze on the floor. All of a sudden, her hand flew to her mouth and she ran to the bathroom. Grace and Jack were left staring after her. "I guess she really isn't okay."

"Jack, she's going through withdrawal. I can't believe Will got her to stop everything."

"Maybe I should go after her. You know I don't even let her go to the bathroom by herself. She's sneaky sometimes." He said as he walked towards the bathroom. "Bye G."

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After Jack and Karen went back to her manse, she went straight to the bathroom. Jack had never seen her move that quickly. She actually ran. He followed her after he picked up her purse and coat that were discarded on the floor.

"I can't do this, Poodle." She whispered when he found her lying on the floor of the bathroom. She was shaking and tears of exertion were flowing from her eyes. Her cheek was pressed to the cold tile of the floor.

"Oh my gosh." He said as he leaned down and brushed her hair out of her face. He reached up on the vanity and grabbed a washcloth. He drenched it with cold water and wiped her face with it. She allowed him to wash her face, a little apprehensive about the absence of her makeup, but stopped thinking when another wave of nausea churned in her stomach. She quickly sat up and vomited into the toilet. Jack rubbed her back in comfort as she finished.

"I'm going to bed." She said softly. She tried to stand up, but her legs fell weak. Jack picked her up, unable to watch her suffer while walking to her bedroom. "Thanks Poodle." She said as he laid her on the bed. He pulled a large, soft blanket over her and tucked her shivering body into bed. He stayed with her for a half an hour before she finally fell asleep.

"Will, I need you to come over here." Jack said into his cell phone. He called Will as soon as he left Karen's bedroom.

"Jack? What's wrong?"

"I can't watch her suffer like this. She's puking all the time, she's sweating and she's shaking. I can't be here for this." He said. He was almost in tears, but with very good reason.

"Where is she now?" He asked, panicked.

"I finally got her to sleep. She's in bed."

"I'll be right over. I'll stay with her until she's okay."

"Thanks Will. I just can't watch her like this."

"I know. I'm on my way."


	14. Chapter 14

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Will walked in to find Karen convulsing under a thick blanket. Jack was wiping her face with a washcloth and speaking sweet words of encouragement into her ear. Will felt so guilty that he had been the one to suggest putting her through all of the pain, but he was glad that he did. She needed to see that she really was addicted.

"Hey." He said, making his presence known. Jack and Karen both looked to the door. Karen slowly sat up and pushed the blanket off of her body. She walked over to Will and got in his face.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Did you come to see what you did to me?" she stalked. He saw that her eyes were slightly puffy and pink. She wasn't wearing any makeup, a first time sight for Will.

"I came to take care of you."

"No. I don't need anyone to take care of me."

"Is that why Jack is here?"

"Jack is here because you won't let me stay alone."

"How long have you gone without?"

"Thirteen hours. And I'm fine." She said, holding her head up high. Karen Walker was many things, but undignified wasn't one of them. If he didn't know better he would have believed her statement.

"Good, then I won't have to do too much. You can go home, Jack." He said while taking his coat off and throwing it on Karen's couch.

"I don't want you here. I want him." She said.

"Karebear, I can't be here right now." Jack said, looking into her eyes and taking her hands in his. "I love you so much, but I can't watch you suffer. I'm sorry." She smiled softly and brought her hand to his cheek. He leaned down and pecked her lips before walking out the door.

She walked back over to her bed and got under her blanket. She curled up and waited for Will to start a conversation. It didn't take long. He wanted her to admit that she had a problem so he could help her kick her addictions.

"How are you really?" he asked as he walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. He took his shoes off and loosened his tie.

"I think I'm dying." She replied. She shivered and pulled the blanket closer to her body.

"I don't think you're dying. I think your body is going through withdrawals." He lay down next to her and brushed her hair out of her face.

"I don't have an addiction, Will." She said, denying everything with that one statement.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes, Karen, you do." he said, firmly.

"No I don't." she denied, bursting into tears. "I can't." He leaned over and hugged her to his body. After a moment she hugged him back, crying on his chest.

"Sweetie, it's okay." He comforted her and pulled her closer. "We'll get through this together." He kissed her cheek and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm going to help you. But first I need to hear you ask for my help." She looked into his eyes.

"Honey, I need your help. Please?" she almost pleaded. He nodded his head and kissed her lips softly.

"I'll go start a bath." He got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom to fill the tub. He then went to her closet and found a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt in a back dresser drawer. He put bubble bath in the tub before it got halfway full so she could relax.

After the tub was filled he walked back into the bedroom. Karen was still lying on the bed sweating, shivering, and crying. Without a word he walked over to the bed and picked her up. He carried her to the bathroom and stood her up next to the bathtub.

He slowly undressed her, taking every piece of clothing from her body. She stood naked before him, but his eyes stayed focused on hers. He wanted her to know that he was there to help her, not to take advantage of her.

She got the message and smiled softly through her headache. She then reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. He moved his lips to speak, but she covered his mouth with her feverish hand. She finished undressing him and took her hair down.

"Would you hold me?" she asked. He nodded and she stepped into the tub, holding his hand for support. He climbed in and sat behind her. She leaned back and he wrapped his arms around her chest. "Thank you for being here, honey."

"Thank you for letting me."

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Will stayed with her for the whole night and they woke up the next morning in each other's arms. It was the only time since the very first night that they were together that they had spent the entire night together. They both felt a new bond growing. They didn't have to make love to be together and even though they weren't in a relationship, it was still nice to have somebody to hold.

"Good morning honey." Karen said, looking into Will's eyes.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked, pulling her closer to his body.

"No. I still feel like shit." She snuggled her face into his chest and closed her eyes to keep the morning sun out. Her head was still pounding and the light did not help.

"Maybe we should get you some breakfast." He said as he pulled the covers back. "Where's Rosario?"

"I sent all of them away. They don't need to see me like this." She threw her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed her glasses off of the side table. She set her hair up in a messy bun and tried to stand. Will grabbed her when she stumbled and put his arm around her shoulders.

They walked down to the kitchen and Karen sat at the table. She pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest. She was still cold, but getting more used to it. Will walked over to the refrigerator and pulled a few items out to cook. They ate a wonderfully balanced breakfast. Karen had milk instead of coffee. She didn't realize until the morning before that she actually didn't like coffee.

"Will, why are you doing all of this for me?" she asked as she took the last bite of her bacon.

"I care about you."

"Are you sure that's why? Do you feel obligated to because of our little…history?"

"No, I really care about you sweetie." He said, dumbfounded. Why was it so hard for her to believe that he cared?

"Oh." She said softly. She began to feel nauseated again, but held it back. She needed food and she really didn't want to get rid of it so quickly. She swallowed hard before Will spoke again.

"And I have a surprise for you. Jack is bringing it by in a little bit." He said.

"I don't really feel too much like a surprise, honey."

"You'll be able to use this one."

"Well I better at least make myself presentable." She said, standing from the table. She paused, took a deep breath, and ran to the bathroom to empty her stomach. Will followed her and patted her back. He didn't really know what to do in that particular situation, but she seemed to need comfort more than anything.

"I fucking hate this." She said as she stood and began brushing her teeth.

"I know, but it's for your own good." He said as he took her hair down and started brushing it. She spit the last of her toothpaste into the sink and straightened up. He brushed her hair back and put it up again, in a neater up-do. He smiled at her reflection as she leaned back into his chest. He embraced her.

"I better go and do my makeup." She said as she began to walk from the room. He grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Please don't. I love the way you look without it." She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you joking? I look horrible."

"No you don't. You look so beautiful." He said. She blushed a little, something that she never did.

"Fine, I won't." she whispered. As they shared their intimate moment there was a knock on the front door. Will smiled and went to answer it.

"Jack, did you bring it?" Will asked, giddily bouncing.

"Yes. And it was hell to get up here. You know how heavy this thing is?" he complained. Will just blew him off and pulled in a large box.

"What the hell is that?" Karen asked, walking into the entryway.

"This is a treadmill."

"What?" she asked in a disgusted manor. "So now I'm a drug addict and I'm fat. Fuck you guys." She began to walk away, but Jack grabbed her hand.

"No, Kare, this is to help you. You see, if you drink a lot of water and you sweat a lot then this will all go by a lot faster." Jack said. "Please try it for me." He gave her puppy dog eyes and she agreed.

They sat up the treadmill in the living room so they could watch television while she ran. She started off walking and became angry when Will turned up the speed. He had her jogging before she stepped on the sides of the treadmill, effectively stopping herself.

"I need a better bra." She stated. Jack immediately ran into her laundry room and found her a sports bra. She put it on under her shirt and slid her arms back into the sleeves. "Now let's get this thing going."


	15. Chapter 15

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Will and Jack made Karen run and walk on the treadmill for an hour before letting her take a break. They made her drink a whole bottle of water before rushing her back on the machine. She was sweaty and tired. She understood why they thought she should run, but all she wanted to do was lay in bed and try to sleep.

"What are you three doing?" Grace asked as she walked into Karen's living room.

"Hey Gracie." Will said, jumping out of his seat to great her. "We got Karen a treadmill so she can work off her addiction."

"Oh I see." She replied. "Why didn't anyone invite me?"

"We just assumed that you'd be waiting for Leo's call. I didn't think you'd want to come." He said softly. He wasn't sure how close Grace and Karen were anymore. They still considered each other best friends, but ever since Grace got married she had been distant.

"Of course I want to be here. She's just as much my friend as she is yours." Grace replied, shocked that he would even say something like that. "Karen, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing better honey." She said, out of breath and panting. "What brings you here?"

"I just came over to check on you." She replied, noticing that her friend looked completely different from her everyday façade. She wore sweats with no makeup and a ponytail. She saw the glasses the day before, but assumed it was just another one of her phases.

"That's sweet. Do you want to spend the night with us?" she asked. While she was running, Will and Jack decided that they would spend the night with her and watch movies.

"Sure, what's the occasion?"

"Nothing special, we're just going to watch movies."

"How long have you been on that thing?"

"Ugh, three hours. My head feels like it's been kicked repeatedly, but the gays here won't let me stop running." She replied before Grace walked up and pulled the plug.

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Jack got a few blankets and pillows from Karen's guest room. He carried them all down to the couch where the four friends were planning on spending the remainder of their evening. He pushed in a movie and hopped back over to the couch. He sat with Karen on one side and Grace on the other. He took notice that Will sat down next to Karen instead of Grace, but he kept quiet. As soon as the opening credits began to roll they all groaned and looked at Jack.

"Poodle, Hope Floats?" Karen complained.

"Yeah, Jack, could you get any gayer?" Grace asked before she stood and walked over to the movie collection.

"You guys, this is a brilliant movie."

"No, its not." Spoke Will. "This is the sappiest chick flick of all time."

"This one is better." Grace said as she resumed her seat on the couch. They all cuddled closer to each other as the movie began.

About halfway through the movie Jack looked over at Karen. She was shivering, but still trying to drink her bottle of water. He looked back at the screen, but kept a watch on her through his peripheral vision. She would freak out if she saw him observing her too much.

He noticed such a change in her already. She hadn't drunk alcohol or taken any pills in almost two days and he was incredibly proud of her. He couldn't wait to take her out shopping to celebrate. As he thought about shopping something caught his eye. Under the blanket he could make out the form of Karen's hand slowly sliding over onto Will's leg. This wouldn't have shocked Jack too much, but she didn't stop at the leg. She seemed to have pushed her hand between his legs and left it there. He was puzzled.

After watching the movie for a little bit longer Jack decided to try and doze off. Grace was sleeping peacefully on the arm of the couch so he just leaned over and rested on her back. He was still thinking about what he may have seen Karen doing earlier. He figured that maybe he could pretend he was sleeping and secretly watch them. Something weird was going on and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Will looked over in Jack and Grace's direction and found them sleeping. He smiled and leaned down to kiss Karen's neck, licking and biting. She giggled quietly before pushing him away.

"Honey, Grace and Jack are right there." She whispered.

"Then lets go somewhere else." He replied. He nibbled on her earlobe causing her to giggle again. He then jumped up and grabbed her hand, pulling her off of the couch with him. She followed him quickly as they made their way to the hallway. They didn't want to go too far incase Grace and Jack woke up.

He pushed her up against the wall and kissed her lustfully. She sighed into his mouth and ran her hands through his hair. They hadn't been together in a while and it seemed to really be weighing on their minds. He pushed his hands up under her shirt and caressed her breasts as she slid her tongue into his mouth.

Jack quickly got up off of the couch and ran to the wall by the door. He leaned his head around to peak into the hallway. It was then that he saw what he could only identify as the most horrific thing he could imagine. His two best friends were all over each other and it was disgusting. He watched for a moment before running back over to the couch to wake Grace.

"What the hell are you doing, Jack? I'm trying to sleep." Grace spoke loudly. Jack threw his hands up in defeat. He wanted to wake Grace up so she could see what was going on.

"Are you guys okay?" Will asked as he and Karen made their way back into the room.

"Jack just woke me up for no reason." Grace complained as she rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry, I just heard something and wanted you to tell me what it was." Jack said in defense. They all stood in silence, looking around at one another. Before it got too awkward Jack looked into Karen's eyes. She looked so innocent, like nothing had happened just a few minutes before. "I think I'm going to head home, guys. I'll see you." He began walking towards the door, passing Karen.

"Call me later, Poodle." She said as she leaned up for a kiss. He held her at arms length and looked at her lips, the lips that Will had just invaded, and smiled softly.

"I think I'm getting sick. We better not." He said, referring to their usual goodbye kiss. She nodded, hurt, and blew him a kiss instead. He waved a goodbye and walked through the front door.

"Maybe I should make sure he's okay." Will said. "I'll be back in a minute." He rushed out the door to try to catch up with Jack. Karen and Grace were left alone in the living room.

"Wow, I wonder what's wrong with Jack." Grace said as Karen made her way back over to the couch.

"I don't know honey." She replied, sitting down and covering up with the blanket. "I'm not sure I've ever seen him act like that. He never turns down a kiss. I wonder if he's mad at me for something."

"No he's usually pretty dramatic when he's mad."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Let's just let Will take care of it. I'm sure it'll all be fine." Grace said as she cuddled closer to Karen, putting her head on her shoulder. "We should have some girl talk."

"Okay, honey. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know. How are you? I mean, Stan's been gone for about four months now. How's your love life?" Grace asked. Karen scoffed and leaned her head back on the couch.

"Nonexistent." She replied.

"I have someone I'd like to set you up with." Karen's heart jumped at this confession. She was actually happy with being alone. Of course if she had to be perfectly honest, she wasn't exactly alone when she had Will.

"Maybe after I get over this little hump I'll go out with someone. Is it a girl or a guy?"

"It's a guy. His name is Max. He's really good looking and really rich." Grace replied. She thought for a moment before she asked a question that had been bothering her ever since she met Karen. "Have you ever had sex with a woman?" Karen giggled.

"Have you?"

"No. I thought about it a few times, but I think I'd miss one particular piece of equipment." She replied, laughing. "So have you?"

"No I haven't." she said, slightly startling Grace. "I went on a few dates with this one girl in college, but when it came down to the sex thing I couldn't do it. I've kissed a few girls, but none of it ever led to anything."

"I'm kind of surprised."

"Why, do I give off a lesbian vibe?"

"No. You've just always been a mystery to me."

"I'm just a person Grace. Stop getting so weird." Karen said, wondering where this conversation was really headed. "And what's wrong with you? Is something going on with Leo?"

"How did you guess?"

"I don't know. It was just a hunch." She replied. She had actually disliked Leo from the beginning. Aside from him being a Jewish doctor, there was really nothing interesting about him. She had always had a feeling that he would hurt Grace in the end.

"I think he's cheating on me." Grace revealed. She started to tear up, but didn't let it show too much. Karen's head jerked in her direction, a questioning gaze playing with her features. "He called last night and told me that he kissed someone. He apologized and told me that it meant nothing and it would never happen again. I told him it was fine, but I can't help thinking that it wasn't just a kiss."

"Honey, don't be so pessimistic. I'm sure he didn't…well I don't know. Maybe you should talk to Will about this. I don't want to give you bad advice."

"Karen, he has never been cheated on like this." She said. Silence filled the air and Karen took a deep breath.

"And I have." Karen concluded for her. Grace nodded and looked down, slightly ashamed. "Honey, the best thing for you to do is talk to him. Get him to admit everything before you jump to all kinds of conclusions."

"How did you get Stan to tell you?"

"I didn't. I heard him with his…British whore. They were going at it in my home, in my bed. He found out I knew when I handed him the divorce papers. He was pissed."

"Wow. What did he say when you told him?" Grace asked. She was very interested in what really went on a few months ago. Karen sighed and pondered her answer before speaking.

"He said I was worthless and that nobody would ever want me."

"Oh, Karen, I would have hit him."

"I did, honey. It didn't really seem to faze him though. He said I was a fucking cunt and knocked me to the floor with the back of his hand. How messed up is that?" she smiled, an attempt to hide her poignant memory. Grace just looked into her eyes.

"You could have come to me. I would have been there for you."

"Honey you had just gotten married and I didn't want to impose on your happiness." Karen said. "But I do want to tell you that I went about it all wrong. You need to talk to Leo before you start getting crazy. Don't let your mind freak you out."

"I will. Thanks Karen. You're a good friend."

"That's what I'm here for." She replied. Grace leaned in and kissed Karen's lips, softly. She lay her head back down on her friend's shoulder.

"You want to make out?" she asked. Karen giggled. She was glad that the awkward moment was broken.

"Of course, honey." She replied and kissed Grace again. Will walked into the room and stopped in his tracks.

"You ladies having fun?" he asked, smiling as they broke apart.

"Oh yeah, honey. She's got soft lips." Karen smiled. "What's wrong with Jackie?"

"I don't know." He sighed and sat down next to Karen on the couch. "He just said that he didn't want to get in our way. I told him he was acting crazy, but he was completely serious. I let him go so he could clear his head."

"Wow. Maybe I should go and talk to him." Grace suggested. "I'm really good at getting people to open up." She stood from the couch. "I'm just going to stay the night at your apartment, Will. After I talk to Jack I'll be too tired to go anywhere. Love you, ladies." She said as she walked out of the room and out the front door.

"What do you think was really wrong with him?" Karen asked as she turned to Will.

"I honestly don't know. He said that he didn't want to see me right now."

"Well I hope he gets over it soon. I need to take him shopping so we can forget about this whole thing that's been happening." She said as she stood up. "I think I'm going to bed, honey."

"Are you still cold?" He asked as he stood to meet her.

"Yeah, but I feel better." She leaned up and kissed his lips. He didn't give her time to pull away before he deepened the kiss and passed his tongue through her lips. She ran her hands up his chest and pushed her body closer to his. She broke the kiss with an audible pop. "You want to join me?"

"I do, but do you feel well enough?"

"I always do." she smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. He lifted her off the ground and carried her to her bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and mounted her. Her breath quickened as he kissed his way down her neck. He pulled her shirt from her body and she lifted his off as well. He kissed the tops of her breasts, his tongue dipping into her cleavage.

He made his way down her body, kissing her stomach. Once he reached her pants he pulled them down off of her legs. She shivered when he placed his lips on her inner thigh and began to take her panties down.

"Honey, what are you doing?" she whispered. He was never so thorough with his assessment of her body. He put his fingers underneath the hip straps of her g-string and looked up into her eyes.

"Don't you remember? You told me I should plan on returning the favor." He smiled.

"Don't feel obligated."

"Don't worry." He said. She sighed as he pressed his lips to her panty line. He finally removed her panties from her body. He kissed the flesh between her thigh and groin before stopping once again. "You have a tattoo?" he asked.

"Yes. You never noticed before?"

"No." he replied. "I like it." He kissed the spot where her secret tattoo was engraved and moved over to lick her center. Her breath hitched as he began working. He licked her clit and shoved his tongue into her. She was surprised at the shockwaves it sent throughout her body and ran her hands through Will's hair. This made him a bit bolder and he sucked on her clit. She suddenly stopped him, pulling his face away from her.

"I want to come with you." She whispered. He smiled and took his pants and boxers down before placing himself in between her legs and shoving into her. She wrapped her legs around him and he unclasped her bra. He massaged her breasts and kissed her roughly as he began to thrust in and out of her body. She bit his bottom lip in pleasure as she felt her orgasm building in her stomach.


	16. Chapter 16

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Another morning of waking up in each other's arms was like pure bliss. Karen awoke to delicate kisses on her neck, just below her ear. She smiled at the loving feeling it gave her to wake up in a man's arms.

"How are you feeling?" Will asked. He wrapped her tighter in his embrace.

"Better. My headache isn't as bad."

"Good. We can get some breakfast and get started on the treadmill." He said. She scoffed and snuggled closer to him. "I have a question for you."

"What's that, honey?"

"When did you get a tattoo?" He asked. She giggled a little before finding the words to answer his question.

"I got it when I was twenty-one. It's some kind of serenity symbol."

"Why did you get it there? That thing is so far up your inner thigh that nobody would ever see it."

"That's why." She replied. "I wanted only somebody that is really close to me to be able to see it. Stanly didn't even know about it."

"Wow." He replied. He felt so special that he was one of the very few people to get that close to her. She allowed him to see something that was like a secret and for that he was thankful.

"Let's get up. I want to go out and talk to Jackie sometime today." She said as she rolled over Will to get out of bed. She stood up and he watched as she covered her naked body with a bathrobe and found her glasses. He then stood as well and put his boxers and pants back on.

They walked down to the kitchen and Will made them some breakfast. Karen had mostly fruit since she didn't want to throw everything up again. She had been vomiting after meals for the past two days and she did not want to do it again.

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"Jackie, why won't you talk to me?" Karen asked as she knocked on her best friend's door. "I know you're in there, honey."

"I'm busy, Karen. What do you want?" he asked coldly, swinging the door open. She had never heard him speak so harshly to her, even when they fought.

"I want to know what's going on with you."

"And I want to know what's going on with you." He replied. She looked at him quizzically and he pulled her into his apartment. He closed the door before continuing. "How long have you been fucking Will?" he asked bluntly. Karen's face froze and her heart dropped.

"What are you talking about, Poodle?" She decided that maybe she should play dumb until she found out exactly what he knew. She was perfectly prepared to lie if she needed to.

"Stop acting stupid. I saw you with your hand between his legs. I saw him with his tongue in your ear and you were giggling. And I saw his hands up your shirt at the same time that you shoved your tongue into his mouth. You know, when he had you up against the wall?" he exploded in an oddly calm manor. "Now let me ask you again, Kare. How long have you been fucking Will?"

"Jack, you and I do crazy things like that all the time. Name one of those things that we haven't done." She said, putting her hand on her hip. He looked at her, still not satisfied.

"Maybe we have done all of that, but what about the other stuff? You two have been getting really close."

"Will is gay, honey." She said, taking his face in between her hands. "I don't want you to worry about us getting closer. You're always going to be my Poodle." He smiled.

"I'm sorry I was so mean."

"Its alright." She said. "Would it make you feel any better if we did one of those things now?"

"It might, but maybe we shouldn't. I'd still feel kind of weird. Plus, you should be at the manse running on your treadmill." He said, ushering her out the door. She left him with a kiss on his cheek and went home to run. "See what I mean, Grace?"

"You mean how she didn't technically deny anything?" Grace replied as she stood from behind the counter. Jack had told her all about his suspicions the night before. She had been completely skeptical, but after hearing the way Karen talked to Jack, she was getting curious.

"Yes. That's the way both of them talk when you ask them about each other. We need to find out what's going on."

"But why would they lie to us?"

"I don't know. We have to keep a close eye on them."

"I agree. I'll tell you if I find anything out when I go to lunch with Will tomorrow."

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"Grace, name one of those things that she and Jack haven't done. It was just one of those things. I'm gay, remember?" Will replied during his lunch with Grace. She noted that those were basically the exact same things that Karen said to Jack when he confronted her. She couldn't tell what was going on.

"So you're not fucking her?"

"I'm gay."

"That wasn't my question."

"But it should answer your question." He replied. He stood from his chair and threw some money on the table. "I have to get back to work. I'm going to watch over Karen again tonight."

"I saw her yesterday morning at Jack's apartment and she seemed like she was doing fine."

"I'm just going to be there one more night. I want to make sure she's going to be able to handle everything. I'll talk to you later." He said as he kissed her cheek and walked out the door. She sat dumbfounded as she finished drinking her glass of orange juice.


	17. Chapter 17

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Karen closed her front door as Rosario and a few maids left with boxes of pills and booze that they had cleared out of her house. She felt oddly empty knowing that she had nothing to occupy her free time anymore. She was something that she hardly ever really was, bored.

She was staring off into space, in her own world when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She shrieked and elbowed whoever it was in the stomach. They let go and she turned around to find out who it was that was touching her like that.

"Oh my gosh, Will." She panicked as he hunched over, holding his stomach. "Honey, I am so sorry." She rubbed his back until he could stand upright again.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked as he caught his breath.

"No. You just scared the hell out of me. I'm sorry, honey."

"It's fine." He said shortly. He walked into her living room and sat in the closest chair. She followed him, only hoping that he wasn't angry with her. She stood next to the chair, her fingers shyly intertwined in front of her. "It's okay Kare." He eased her fears and pulled her closer to him by her hands. He stood her in front of him and pushed his legs in between hers, causing her to shift her balance. He then leaned forward and unbuttoned her shirt from the bottom.

She stood motionless in front of him as he slid his hands up her legs and under her skirt. His hands pulled her panties down her legs as he kissed her stomach through her unbuttoned shirt. She ran her hands through his hair as he pulled her down to straddle his lap. He kissed her neck and ran his hands up the front of her body. She reached down to unbuckle his pants, but he stopped her.

"Don't move." He said as he unbuckled and pulled down his own pants, lifting her from his lap only slightly. His lips traveled between her breasts and she allowed her head to slowly fall back at the sensation. He undid the front clasp of her bra and moved his lips to cover her erect nipple. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his head to bring him closer.

She felt his tongue move at a rapid pace as he lifted her hips and pushed himself into her. He bucked his hips upward and made her bounce. He then took her face in his hands, roughly, and kissed her. She supported herself by putting both of her hands on the back of the chair.

He grabbed her hips and brought her down onto him hard. She used her knees to create more friction between them, causing an orgasm to strike her without any warning. She shuddered and rode him harder. She rocked back and forth as he continued to lift her hips and plow into her.

Another orgasm hit her hard and she moaned into his ear. That was all it took to make him come as well. They continued to move until the last waves were finished with their bodies. She collapsed on top of him and kissed his neck. She loved the feeling of his body in between her legs and hoped he knew how much he turned her on.

"Oh, honey." She said through heavy breaths. They stayed still for a few moments. Finally, she lifted her hips to allow him to pull out of her. She sat back on his thighs and clasped her bra. After kissing his lips she stood and found her panties.

"Where are you going?" he asked as she began walking out of the room while buttoning her shirt.

"I need to take a bath." She replied. He stood and pulled his pants up while following her.

"I just rocked your world and the first thing you do is take a bath." He joked. She giggled and turned around to face him.

"No honey. I have a date tonight and I don't want to smell like sex with you." She responded. His face fell into shock and hurt.

"Oh. I didn't know that you were dating anyone."

"It's a blind date that Grace arranged. I haven't met him, but his name is Max and he's supposed to be really great." She revealed. She then noticed the look of anger on his face. "What?"

"You should have told me about this. And what are your intentions with him? Are you going to fuck him?"

"You have no claims on me, Will. We are just friends with amazing benefits. And if I fuck this guy, then so be it." She said as she tried to walk away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him. "What is your problem?"

"You never even talked to me about this before you just decided to go out with someone."

"We aren't together, honey. Whatever we have together is a secret. We don't love each other. There are three reasons why I don't need your permission."

"Look, I'm sorry. I just thought that we were kind of exclusive for a while." He replied shamefully. He knew it was a stupid assumption the moment that he put it into words. She just gave him a soft smile and put her hand to his cheek.

"Honey, I appreciate everything that you do for me. I mean, you helped me stop all the drugs and everything, but we can't be more than what we are."

"And what are we, Karen?"

"We're just lovers, without the love. For the sake of our friends and ourselves, we have to stay where we are."

"Okay." He replied, softly. He kissed her lips gently before looking into her eyes. "You'd better go take a shower. I'll be home if you need anything."

"Thank you for understanding, honey." She said as she walked into the bathroom and began to get ready for her date. Will turned and collected all of his belongings from her house before leaving to go back to his apartment; his lonely, desolate apartment, without Karen.


	18. Chapter 18

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Max was a sweet, attentive man with a genuine smile. He owned companies, like Stan, but gave all of his employees equal opportunities and rights. His limo picked Karen up at her home and he walked to the door to greet her.

"Hello, I'm Max." he said as he extended his hand.

"I'm Karen." She said. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. She almost fainted when his green eyes flickered and met hers.

"You are very beautiful, Karen." He said once they were in the elevator. She blushed and smiled as if to say thank you. "How did you get to live in such an enormous home?"

"My husband was the president and founder of Walker Inc. He died and now I own the company."

"Stanly Walker was your husband? I went to business school with him." He revealed as he opened the door of the car for her. He slid in next to her and the driver took off.

"Really?" she questioned. "What a coincidence."

"He and I stayed friends for a few years after, but I never heard from him once he married Kathy. How is she now?"

"A bitch." Karen replied before she could keep her mouth shut. She looked over at him and smiled, apologetically. "Sorry, honey, that kind of slipped." He laughed.

"I never liked her either." He said. She calmed down a little after his confession. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous. She'd been on many dates before, but there was something holding her back.

"Did you ever get married?"

"No. I was too busy trying to build my company. By the time I got everything situated, I was thirty-six and alone. I figured I'd better get back into the dating world."

"Wait, you're thirty-six?" she asked. She had never dated a man who was younger than her, let alone seven years. Will was a couple of years younger than her, but they weren't technically dating. It wasn't a very big deal, but she was faintly surprised.

"My birthday was two months ago. Why? How old are you?" he questioned with a smirk.

"Oh no, honey. We're not getting that personal." She returned his smile and giggled.

They arrived at the restaurant and ate a delicious meal. After their meal they walked down the street to Central Park. It was dark, but the stars could be seen clearly. It was late October and the night air was chilly. As soon as she shivered he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him.

She laid her head on his upper arm, as he was taller than she, and allowed him to rub his hand up and down her arm. They walked over to a wooded area and sat on a park bench. He held her tightly as they looked up at the stars.

"Thank you for agreeing to go out with me. I have really enjoyed spending time with you."

"I'm having fun too, honey. I haven't been on a date in ages." She looked up to his face when she felt him shaking with laughter. "What?"

"It's just hard for me to believe that you would ever have trouble getting a date."

"Well, I actually haven't even been looking. I've been at home recovering for a little while."

"Recovering from what? Are you sick?" he asked. She knew he would ask and for some reason she didn't mind telling him.

"A friend got me to realize that I was an alcoholic." She admitted before softly adding, "And a drug addict."

"Wow, so that's why you didn't want wine with dinner." He said, shocked. The woman he saw was a sweet, caring person who he never would have imagined would abuse anything.

"Yeah." She replied, softly. Then she began to panic. "Honey, I didn't mean to freak you out. I am so sorry. Maybe I should go." She said quickly as she stood up to walk away, her high heels clicking on the pavement.

"Karen, don't go." He said as he followed behind her. He grabbed her arm softly and turned her around to face him. Then, without warning, he leaned down and kissed her soft, delicate lips. She kissed him back and felt his tongue brush her bottom lip before he pulled away. "I really like you and I don't care what you were. It's who you are that matters to me."

"Boy, you're a sweet talker aren't you?" she joked. He laughed and put an arm around her as they walked back to his limo. He kissed her again when they were a few blocks away from her manse, but he was a little bolder than before. After a moment his tongue passed through her parted lips. She sighed and placed her hand on his cheek. The limo stopped in front of her house and she put an end to their make out session. "Thank you for dinner."

"Thank you for whatever just happened here." He smiled. She returned the smile and he leaned over to open the door. After he helped her out of the limo he held her hand all the way to her front door. He kissed her tenderly as they said goodnight and she went inside.

Karen was flying on cloud nine after her date. She felt like she finally found somebody who liked her for who she really was. He was the only man, besides Will and Jack, who had ever treated her with a high amount of respect. She adored him.

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"How was your date last night?" Grace asked giddily as Karen walked into work.

"Oh, honey, it was wonderful." She said, putting her coat and purse on the coat rack. "We went to a fancy little French restaurant and we walked through Central Park. He took me home in his limo, we made out in the back seat. He walked me to my door and we said goodnight."

"Wow. He must be some guy."

"He is. We're going to a movie tomorrow night. And, honey, he doesn't care that I had a drinking problem. How sweet is that?" she smiled and jumped up and down like a teenager.

"Karen, I am so happy that you like him." Grace said as she joined her friend in jumping. As soon as they started giggling Jack and Will walked into the office. They looked at one another before walking over and jumping with them. They all laughed as the motion stopped.

"What are we so happy about?" Will asked, smiling.

"Oh I know what it is." Jack spoke up. "Kare had a date last night with a hunky businessman." He grabbed her hands and swung them back and forth. She smiled and blushed a little before nodding that he was correct.

"And she liked him." Grace taunted.

"Did she french him?"

"Yes she did." She giggled.

Jack and Grace continued to joke around about Karen's date while Will stood still in the background. Karen noticed, but she didn't look his way. She didn't want to start feeling guilty when she knew that she shouldn't. He noticed that she didn't look at him and realized how selfish he was being. She wasn't his in any way and he knew that he needed to be supportive of her journey for happiness.

"Congratulations, Kare." He said as he smiled at her. "Jack, are we going to lunch?"

"Let's all go together." Grace suggested. "Where are we going?"

"How about that new place across the street?" suggested Will. They all agreed and Grace locked up so they could go to lunch. Grace and Jack were still studying their friends, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.


	19. Chapter 19

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After a few more dates Karen finally invited Max over to her house for takeout and a movie. They were really getting to know each other. She hadn't introduced him to Will or Jack yet, but they were going to meet him the following evening at dinner. She really hoped that they liked him.

"Do you actually like this movie?" Max asked as the romantic film played on the screen. They were sitting on the floor with empty takeout containers next to them.

"No. I hate romance films. I just like the dancing in it. I used to be a dancer, you know." She replied. His eyes widened a little as he glanced at her.

"When was this?"

"When I was a teenager I danced ballet and tap. My mother used to make me compete, but I just liked dancing. Why are you smiling like that?"

"I think I just became even more attracted to you." He replied. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer with his arm around her waist. She sighed as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. He ran his hand through her hair as he pulled her up on top of his lap.

"Will you make love to me?" She asked after breaking their heated lip lock.

"Are you sure? There's still a lot that you don't know about me. I may turn out to be a jerk."

"I'm sure, honey." She replied. He kissed her again and laid her down on one of the pillows that were on the floor. He ran his hands up and down the front of her body before reaching under her shirt and feeling the soft skin of her stomach. She unbuttoned his shirt and massaged his tongue with her own.

She pushed his shirt off of his body and ran her hands over his tight chest. He broke the kiss and began biting and sucking on her neck. It was pleasurably painful and she allowed him to pull her shirt off over her head. She undid his pants and pushed them down his legs with her feet, his underpants following.

He kissed down her shoulder and ran his tongue down between her breasts. She arched her back and allowed him to remove her pants as well. He kissed her lips and pushed her thong down her legs. She wrapped her legs around him and he quickly completed their connection.

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"Hi kids." Karen greeted as Will and Jack arrived to her house. Grace wasn't able to join them because she was supposed to pick Leo up from the airport.

"Hey Kare." Jack said as he planted a kiss on her lips. Will did the same, causing Max to feel a little uncomfortable. He had never really been around gay men, especially ones who were kissing the woman he was dating. He already decided not to like them.

"Wilma, Jackie, this is Max." She introduced them to each other. They were all three making assumptions and impressions when Karen suggested that they go and watch some television while she helped Rosario in the kitchen. She really wasn't going to help with anything, but she wanted them to get to know each other.

"So, what do you two do for a living?" Max asked, trying to break the ice.

"Will, here, is a lawyer and I am a singer/actor/dancer."

"Wow. You really fit the description." He joked. However, he was the only one that laughed.

"You're a riot." Will said sarcastically. He was trying really hard to like the man, but he couldn't help being jealous. He and Karen still saw each other very often and he didn't want to lose her to somebody else.

"Hey Jackie, can you come and help me real quick?" Karen asked while poking her head in the door.

"Sure Karebear." He replied as he flounced into the hallway with her. She was having trouble with her bra coming out of the top of her dress and she needed his help to keep it in. Max watched out of the corner of his eye as Jack shoved his hands down the top of Karen's dress. They giggled as he helped her move her bra around and fix the straps. He was brought out of his observation when Will asked him a question.

"So what exactly attracted you to Karen?" He asked, still trying to remain neutral.

"Her personality, her eyes, I don't know, everything. Have you ever had your hands on her tits?" he asked, still staring at Jack.

"I'm sorry?" Will asked, disgustedly.

"Well Jack obviously has so I was just wondering if you had too."

"As a matter of fact I have. But that doesn't really count because we're gay."

"Have you noticed how they're not as big as her clothes make them look? It's like she manipulates others into thinking that they're huge."

"I'm really uncomfortable."

"And her voice is like nails on a chalkboard. It's sweet when she whispers, but any other time it's annoying."

"Listen, you shouldn't be talking about her like this."

"Why, are you going to tell her?"

"What if I did?"

"She wouldn't believe you. She thinks I'm a saint."

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you need to have some respect for her."

"Cool down, homo, she'll never know." He said as he walked over to where Karen and Jack were still fondling. Will was left dumbfounded and completely furious. He didn't want Karen to think he was trying to meddle with her new relationship, but the man was disrespectful to the extreme. He decided that he had to tell her.


	20. Chapter 20

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"He really said that? Honey, I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you, but you have the right to know."

"No. Thank you Will. I appreciate it. Maybe he was just uncomfortable."

"I don't know, but I don't want you to get hurt, sweetie." He said as she got two bottles of water from the refrigerator, handing him one.

"I know, honey. I'll talk to him later." She said as she took a sip of her water. They heard the doorbell ring and Karen went to answer it. Will followed as she opened to door to reveal a young, blond woman.

"Are you Karen?" The woman asked in a New Jersey accent.

"Yeah, honey, I am. Can I help you?"

"You're dating Max right?"

"Yes. Who are you?" She asked. The woman immediately slapped Karen hard across the face. Before Karen could even question the reaction, the woman pushed her backwards. "What the fuck is your problem?" Karen yelled as she pushed the woman back.

"What's my problem? You're the one with problems! You're screwing my husband!" the woman shrieked. She was in tears and didn't notice Karen's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Your husband? He's married?" Karen asked, astonished.

"You bet your fat ass he's married and thanks to you, my marriage is ruined."

"If anyone's to blame then it's him."

"All I know is that I want you to stay away from him. Leave him alone, you filthy little whore." She said before turning around and walking to the elevator. Karen rushed up and closed the door. When she turned around to face Will she had tears in her eyes.

"Oh sweetie." He said as he walked forward and took her in his arms. She cried into his shoulder as he rubbed her back in comfort. She sniffled and he pulled away to look at her face. Her cheek was red and he gently caressed it with his fingers. She pulled him into a kiss and the spark was all it took for her to lead him to her bedroom.

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Max walked into Karen's mansion unannounced. His wife had told him that she found his mistress and had a talk with her. He rushed over hoping he could clear things up with Karen before it was too late.

As he walked up the stairs he found nothing but silence. He made his way down the long hall until he came to Karen's bedroom door. He had only been in the room once and that was the night that they made love. He was happy to say that she let him spend the whole night with her after making love on the floor. He opened the door slowly. What he saw sent an icy chill throughout his spine.

Karen was underneath a man, clinging to him and gasping for air. And he wasn't just any man; he was Will, her gay friend. He was pissed.

He closed the door quickly and waited outside until they were through. Will and Karen emerged from the bedroom about twenty minutes later in a playful kiss, tongues tapping one another. She was giggling into his mouth until Max cleared his throat. She pulled away from Will and gasped.

"What's going on Karen?" He asked. It only took her a short moment to answer.

"Well, for starters, you're married so I am no longer any concern of yours."

"So did you just move on to a new guy as soon as you found out? Is that how you work?"

"No. He's my lover. I've been with him since before I met you and I was with him while I was with you. See, I know how to cheat too." She said coldly. "Now I would like you to leave."

"You really are a whore, Karen…" He began, but Will interrupted him.

"She asked you to leave." He said, angrily. Max looked both of them in the eyes before turning around and walking down the stairs. They followed him after a moment and watched as he walked out the door, slamming it behind him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, honey, I'm fine. I mean, I've always got you." She smiled softly and he kissed her lips.

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Karen was in her living room running on her treadmill that very evening. She had kept up the exercising and it was really making a difference in her body. She could finally wear some of the clothes that hadn't fit in years and it thrilled her.

She was coming close to a mile when there was a knock on the door. She yelled for Rosario to answer it, but the woman was hardly ever around anymore. She pushed the stop button and walked over to the door.

"Gracie, what's wrong?" She asked as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"He really was cheating on me." She revealed, tears beginning to pour down her cheeks. Karen rushed to her quickly and pulled her into a hug.

"Honey, it's going to be okay. Come on in. We can talk if you want to?"

"I'd like that."

Karen led Grace to the couch where they talked about her marriage. Leo had had sex with one of his co-workers for Doctors Without Borders. He confessed the night that she picked him up from the airport. Will was the first person that she told, but after she found out what had recently happened to Karen, she hoped they could help each other. They ended up falling asleep on Karen's couch.


	21. Chapter 21

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After a few months or so everything was getting back to a new version of normal. Grace moved back into Will's apartment, Jack got a part in an off-Broadway play, and Karen was alone. She and Will continued their relationship in secrecy, but she still felt as if something was missing. She wanted more from her life.

One day Karen was jogging about two blocks from her manse. She decided to take advantage of the warmer weather that Manhattan was experiencing. She ran past a small studio and instantly stopped in her tracks. She looked through the window and was completely taken by what she saw.

There were young men and women learning dance. She watched as they swayed and leaped gracefully across the wooden floor. She looked at a sign that was placed in the window and thought for a moment. She then moved over and opened the door.

"Hi, I'm Karen Walker and I was coming to ask about the job you're hiring for." She said to the woman at the desk. The woman stood and looked her up and down. She was in her exercising clothes and her hair was in a ponytail. She wasn't sure that she was making a very good impression until the woman spoke.

"Come back on Friday at noon with all of your work experience written on paper. I will expect you to have a routine prepared."

"A routine?" she asked, eyes widened. "What style?"

"We're looking for a ballet instructor. Go from there. I'm assured that you know where the door is." The woman said before she sat back at the desk and shooed Karen away.

She walked out the door feeling exhilarated. Finally she had something to look forward to. She jogged all the way across town to Will and Grace's apartment. She was so excited that she had a chance to do something that had nothing to do with her financial standing. The woman at the desk had no idea who she was and it felt exciting.

Karen ran through the lobby and pushed the button in the elevator for the ninth floor. As soon as the elevator stopped she tried to run out. She bumped hard into Jack and smiled in apology. She pulled him to Will and Grace's apartment by his hand and walked through the door. When they were all sitting in the living room Karen revealed her news.

"I have an audition to be a ballet instructor at that really ritzy studio a few blocks from the manse. Can you believe it?" she asked excitedly. She jumped up and down and giggled in a childlike manor while waiting for a reply.

"Have you been drinking?" Grace asked. Karen stopped jumping and looked at her, slightly hurt by her insinuation.

"Of course not." She replied.

"I didn't know you danced Karen." Jack said. "Are you any good?"

"Yeah, Kare, wasn't the last time you danced when you were like twenty?" Will spoke. Jack and Grace were surprised that he knew that little fact about her life, but they let it go for the moment.

"Well, yeah, but I really want to do this. And I have five days to get ready for it. I can do it. Why aren't you guys excited?"

"It's just kind of a shock, Kare. I mean, we didn't even know you were a dancer." Grace replied.

"But of course we're excited!" Jack shrieked as he jumped up from the couch. He hugged Karen, picking her up and spinning her around. He sat her back on her feet and she was immediately embraced by Will and Grace. They all said that they were happy for her, but she could tell that Grace didn't mean it. To be fair, she had never really shared too much about her life with Grace like she had with the guys. She just wasn't very good at having women for girlfriends. However, she was going to prove to them that she could do it; she was going to teach dance.

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The next day Karen began to work on her routine. She had no idea what the woman was looking for, but she was prepared to work for the job. She bought new toe shoes the day before and she was lacing them up when Will walked through the door. It was around noon and she had been watching videos of her old recitals all morning.

"Hey Kare." greeted Will as he walked further into the room. "What are you doing?"

"Hi, honey. I'm just getting started on my routine." She replied as she stood and stretched out her shoes. Will watched curiously.

"You really are serious about teaching this ballet class aren't you?"

"Of course I am. Honey I think I found out what's missing in my life." She said.

"Well can I see what you can do?" he asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Um, I haven't danced in twenty years. Maybe you should come back when I'm better." She said shyly.

"I want to at least watch you warm up. I like to see how flexible you are." He winked. She smiled and finally complied.

"Well at least get over here and be my bar." She said. He stood from the couch and walked over to where she stood. He held his arm out and waited for her to adjust it to the right height. She went through warm-ups and positions before trying her first pirouette in years.

Will watched as Karen began to get the feel of dancing again. He never knew that somebody who could be so harsh sometimes could be so graceful. He moved closer to her. He was inches from her face before she understood what was happening.

"Honey, I really need to work on this." She whispered, knowing that once his lips touched hers it was over.

"You could always take a break." He replied. She smiled softly before his lips crashed upon hers. He kissed her with force and pulled her closer with his hand on the back of her neck. She moaned quietly when his tongue parted her warm, red lips.

They made love twice before Will decided he should get back to work. He kissed Karen goodbye and wished her luck with her dance routine. She closed the door behind him and, after finding a piece of paper on her desk, wrote a dance routine that would knock her judge flat.


	22. Chapter 22

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Karen walked into Grace's office the next day around ten o'clock in the morning. She hung up her coat and purse before taking a seat at her desk. She didn't notice Grace's stare so the interior designer walked over to her assistant and put her hand on her shoulder.

"What, Grace?" she asked as she looked up from her pile of magazines.

"You do know what time it is don't you?"

"Yes. I was bored this morning so I decided to come in early."

"Okay. I can handle that." Grace replied, leery of her friend's presence so early in the day.

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Um, I have a few things to fax and Jack decided that we should have lunch together. Then I have a meeting with a new client at two."

"You're having lunch with Jack?" Karen asked, incredulously.

"Yes. He said that we're friends, but we don't really know each other very well. He wanted to have a 'get to know me' lunch."

"Oh. Well I can fax your papers if you show me how to do it."

"That'd be great. Thank you."

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"Hey, Grace do you want to go to lunch?" Will asked as he entered the office.

"No, I can't. Jack and I are going to lunch today." As if on cue Jack walked through the door. He kissed Karen's lips in greeting and bounced over to Grace.

"You ready, it's noon?" he asked excitedly.

"Sure." She replied as she grabbed her purse. "Karen, I'll be back here around one thirty. Could you please take messages if anyone calls?"

"Yeah, honey. Have fun ladies." She replied. They walked out the door, leaving Karen and Will alone in the office.

"So how are you?" Will asked as he fumbled around with items on Grace's desk.

"I'm fine. How are you?" Karen replied as she closed her magazine and looked up at him.

"I'm okay."

Jack and Grace ran down the stairs and into the office under Grace's. They used the window, much to the owner's dismay, and crawled up the fire escape until they reached her own window. They crouched down and listened to Karen and Will's conversation. They were so curious about their friends that they would do almost anything to figure out what was going on.

"Is something wrong, honey? You seem a little blue."

"There's nothing wrong. I'm just trying to think of a way to vamp until we get to the good stuff." He replied. She smiled, noticing that he was the one who wanted to skip the talking instead of her. He usually wanted to know what was going on with her before they ripped each other's clothes off.

"There's no need to vamp. I'm ready when you are." She said and stood to lock the door. He rushed over to her and turned her around, violently shoving her back into the wall by the door. He kissed her forcefully and ran his hands over her breasts. Her breathing became rapid as he unbuttoned her shirt, grazing her bare skin with his fingers.

After he unbuttoned her shirt he ran his hands up her legs, pulling her skirt up, and wrapped his fingers in the top of her deep purple g-string. He pulled her panties down and she unbuckled his pants, pushing them down to the ground, his boxers following.

Jack and Grace were astonished. They couldn't believe the synchronicity that their best friends moved with. It was like they knew exactly where to go and when to do it. They wondered if it was a serious invasion of privacy, if they should just leave, but they couldn't tear their eyes away. It was like they were glued to the fire escape, too shocked to move.

Will lifted Karen by her thighs and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He ran his hands over the lace control tops of her stockings. He then broke the kiss, but held on to her bottom lip with his teeth. Her mouth remained slightly agape as he shifted her weight and shoved into her body. He felt her breath let out on his lips and it sent a shiver down his spine.

She hugged him as he started to thrust in and out of her. He kissed as far down her chest as he could while his hands gripped her thighs, guiding her movement. His fingers dug into her flesh as he continued to pound into her.

"Harder." She said, maybe a bit too loudly. He complied and she felt an orgasm overtake her. She shivered and sighed heavily as he took her lips with his once again. She brought him deeper, squeezing his waist with her legs.

He was beginning to feel weak. He was undergoing way too much pleasure to be able to stand so he slide Karen down the wall and landed on his knees. He slightly lifted her and laid her on the cold floor, not once breaking their connection. He pushed harder and faster as he gained more strength. She felt herself sliding back and forth as she clung to his sweaty body.

Her second orgasm hit her hard and she felt a warm sensation spread throughout her stomach. It was much harder than the first and she nearly passed out. Will continued to thrust and finally came as well, collapsing on top of her bra-clad chest.

He kissed between her breasts and made his way up to her lips. She kissed him hard on the mouth and held him close to her body. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"Kare, I love you." He said. She pulled his face away from hers.

"You what?" she asked, a bit harshly. It finally happened. After almost a year of fantastic sex with no feelings, he dropped the L-word on her.

"You don't have to say it back. I just thought you should know." He said as she began to hyperventilate.

"Honey, I need you to get out of me." She said, panicky. He pulled out and she quickly pulled her skirt down to cover her thighs. She stood as Will pulled his pants up and buckled his belt.

"I didn't mean to freak you out…" he began, but she quickly cut him off.

"No!" she yelled, holding her hand in front of her. "You are not supposed to say that you love me. It completely screws up our system!"

"What system, Karen?" he asked. "I don't know how the hell you do it, but I can't just turn off my feelings! I'm sorry that you have none, but that doesn't mean I have to be like you!"

"Don't you understand what this means? We can't be together anymore!"

"Why not?" He asked. "Can you honestly say that you have no feelings that even border love toward me?"

"Whether I do or not doesn't matter! This is so fucking wrong, Will. What we've been doing is wrong. What about our friends?"

"Maybe there is nothing right about any of this, but when it comes right down to it all, I love you." He said. She took a deep breath, calming herself down.

"If I say it back then that makes all of this real and I am so sick of getting hurt, honey." She admitted softly.

"I don't think I could ever intentionally hurt you." He replied. She looked into his eyes and made a decision. She was going to let herself feel something for once in her life. She walked over to him and kissed his lips.

"Maybe you should just go." She said.

"Okay." He nodded and began to leave the office. Her voice stopped him from opening the door.

"Will," she began. He looked at her back as she took a deep breath. "I love you too." He smiled to himself as he opened the door and began the walk back to his office.

Karen let tears fall from her eyes, but quickly wiped them away. She walked over to where her panties lay and put them back on. After buttoning up her shirt she went over to her desk and began tidying up her hair and makeup.

Jack and Grace were still on the fire escape, speechless. Their best friends loved each other? Their best friends had been fucking each other? Will and Karen hated one another. They quietly made their way down the fire escape and walked over to the restaurant. They sat in silence for a moment as the waiter brought them glasses of water.

"Okay, I'm just going to say it." Jack began. "Did you see them going at it? It's like they were animals."

"Jack that is not what the big issue is here." Grace scolded. He nodded and she continued. "They said that they loved each other. What the hell is that all about?"

"I don't know, but Karen doesn't throw that word around loosely. If she said it then she meant it."

"That doesn't matter. They've been lying to us for God only knows how long. They took advantage of our trust."

"Would you stop being so dramatic Grace? If they wanted us to know then they would tell us."

"Why are you so calm about all of this? Weren't you the one who was freaking out about this a little while ago?"

"Yes, meaning that I've known for a while. I just did not expect to see them going at it like that." He giggled.

"Jack this is serious." Grace replied, slapping his arm. He cringed and looked into her eyes.

"Is it really that serious? I mean, they're keeping it a secret for a reason. They'll tell us when they're ready. Now what would you like for lunch?" he asked, effectively changing the subject. Grace looked at him with a confused look and sighed. Maybe he was right. Maybe they should just wait for their friends.


	23. Chapter 23

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"Honey, will you please come with me?" Karen begged Jack a couple of hours before her audition. She wanted his support and called him to come over to her manse.

"Of course I'll go with you Kare. Are you all ready?" He asked as he sat on her living room couch.

"I think so. I wrote my routine and tweaked it a few days ago. It's as perfect as I can make it. I just hope I can dance it." She joked. He smiled.

"Well, show me what you've got. I can give you constructive criticism."

"I don't know, honey. Maybe I should just stretch for a little bit. I'll feel stupid dancing for you in my living room."

"Aw, please Kare." Jack whined. She sighed and turned on her music, a classical piece by Vanessa Mae. She began to dance and Jack smiled wider than before. He watched as she turned and swayed to the music, so much of her training shining through. She was in a very enclosed area, but she worked with the space that she had. After she finished she smiled shyly and waited for Jack's response.

"So what'd you think?" she asked. He stood from his place on the couch and kissed her hard on the mouth. He broke his friendly kiss and hugged her tightly.

"You're going to do just great, Karebear."

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Jack and Karen ran out of the elevator and burst into Will and Grace's apartment. They were jumping up and down. Will and Grace walked over to them, curiously awaiting the news of Karen's audition.

"I got it!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down some more.

"Oh my gosh, sweetie!" Will shouted out. He kissed her lips, but quickly pulled back. He only saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes before she covered their mistake by kissing Grace.

"Aren't you happy, honey?" she asked Grace, after planting a big kiss on her mouth.

"Of course I am Karen. I can't believe you actually did this. I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks guys. And just so you know, I teach the class on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I won't be at work on those days, okay?"

"Let's go and celebrate." Jack suggested. "Will's paying!"

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"I'm finished for today so I'll see you all next week." Karen announced to her class. She had been in charge of the advanced ballet group for a month and was having the time of her life. She was mostly surrounded by seventeen to twenty year olds, but they had a lot of fun together. She was surprised at how quickly they adjusted to her.

"Ms. Walker?" A young girl walked up to Karen as she was putting her dance shoes back in her bag. She looked up at the girl and smiled.

"Call me Karen, honey."

"Oh. Um, Karen… I can't be here next week. I have an appointment." She said, nervously.

"Claire, are you okay?" she inquired. "You seem a little anxious about something." The girl only giggled half-heartedly and shook her head.

"I'm fine. I just, um, I have an appointment next week and I can't be here."

"Honey, its fine." She said. Something was wrong with this girl and she only wished it were her business to find out. She was reminded of herself at a younger age. The girl sniffled and burst into tears. Karen's eyes widened as the girl began to hyperventilate. "Sit down." She demanded and helped the girl to the floor. She made her put her head in between her legs and waited until her breathing was normal, as well as her own heart rate.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Walker. I should leave." She said as she tried to stand. Karen grabbed her hand roughly and pulled her back to the floor with her.

"There is no way in hell you're leaving without telling me what that was about."

"You can't tell anybody." She said. Karen nodded and urged her on. When the girl fumbled for words Karen reached over and took her hand. "I'm pregnant." She admitted. Karen's eyes widened. The girl had just turned seventeen years old and she was pregnant.

"Oh."

"And next week I'm getting my abortion. That's why I can't be here for class."

"You're going to kill it?!" Karen exclaimed before she could stop herself. She quickly tried to backtrack. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to say that."

"It's fine. I just don't think I could bring a baby into this world right now. I haven't even told my parents."

"What about the father?"

"He said that we could get married and I could live with him, but he doesn't make enough money to support a family. Plus, I need my parents' signature and that will never happen."

Karen didn't know what to say. The girl really was her when she was a teenager. She too had been faced with what she now called a pregnancy scare. She also recall a few more past mistakes in her life. The girls words brought her from thought.

"Anyway, I have to get home." She said as she stood from the floor. Karen stood as well and stopped Claire before she walked through the door.

"Honey, if you ever need to talk to anyone then you can always come to me." She said softly. The girl smiled and thanked her before walking out the door of the studio. Karen sighed and put her shoes on. She grabbed her bag and turned off the light after locking the door of the building.


	24. Chapter 24

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Karen and Jack were watching a movie together in her living room after Karen's class ended. She remembered that Claire was supposed to get her abortion and couldn't help but wonder how it went. She didn't want to care about this girl, it just kind of happened.

"Is something wrong, Karebear? Do you need a back rub on your front?" he asked. She laughed and cuddled closer to him on the couch.

"Is that your solution to everything, Poodle?"

"Maybe it is. Would it help?" He asked, causing her to laugh again.

"I'm just thinking about a girl in my class."

"Are you dreaming about her too? Are you in love?"

"Gross, Jackie, she's seventeen."

"You're dreaming about a seventeen year old? God, you need help." He said with a disgusted look on his face.

"No! She was supposed to get an abortion sometime before class today."

"Oh." He replied. He laid his head on top of hers and hugged her closer. "Are you worried about her?"

"Yes, but I don't know why. She doesn't fit into my life so I don't know why it should matter."

"Why, Karen Walker I think you're growing up." He said, feigning exasperation. She laughed and he started tickling her stomach. She laughed even harder as he got on top of her and continued his tickling. They were having so much fun that they didn't even hear the doorbell ring.

"Miss Karen you have a visitor." Rosario said loudly over their giggling.

"What is it Rosie?" she asked as she pushed Jack off of her. Her face froze when she saw who her visitor was. "Claire?"

"I couldn't do it Karen." The young girl said. She had obviously been crying and Karen quickly stood from the couch.

"Rosie, will you make us some tea?"

"Sure Mami." The maid replied as she walked into the kitchen.

"Come sit down, honey." Karen said as she grabbed Claire's hand and led her over to the couch. Jack watched in awe. He wasn't used to seeing Karen care about too many other people. "Now, what happened?"

"Well I went to the clinic and I just couldn't do it. I thought about what you said about killing it and I couldn't. I want this baby." She confessed.

"Honey, you shouldn't let what I said affect your decision. I'm virtually insane."

"No you were right. I want this baby and I want to marry Steve. I told my parents, but they kicked me out. They said that they were going to slap Steve with a rape charge. What am I going to do?" she said in tears.

"Why don't you give them a chance to cool down? Where are you staying?"

"I don't know. I can't go to Steve's because that's the first place they'll look for me."

"You're staying here then. I can't have you wandering the streets."

"Thank you so much, Karen." The girl said as she leaned forward and hugged her instructor. Karen paused for a moment before hugging her back.

"Okay that's enough." She said as she pulled away from the hug. She stood from the couch and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him over to her. "Claire this is Jack."

"Is he your husband?" she asked. The friends burst into laughter.

"Um, I don't think so." Jack said in his homosexual slur.

"Oh. Karen, I didn't know you were a hag." She observed. Karen laughed again and Jack turned to give her a quizzical look.

"How can everybody tell?"

"It's not that big of a deal, Poodle. You're just a raging fag." She consoled. Claire giggled at a side of Karen that she had never seen before. She already admired this woman for her dancing skills, but seeing her as a person was a lot different.

"Well, Karebear, I have to go. I have a date with that Spanish guy I met at the gym."

"Okay. Love you lady." She said as he kissed her lips. He left and Karen turned back to her guest. "Are you hungry?"

"A little bit."

"I'll give you a tour and we'll get something to eat." She said, motioning for Claire to stand. She followed her through the main area of the mansion as Karen showed her the room she would be staying in. She also showed her where her own bedroom was in case of emergency. Claire was full of questions by the time they made it back downstairs to the kitchen. They sat at the table for their tea and dinner when she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Okay, Karen, are you famous or something?" she asked. Karen laughed and shook her head. "Then how are you living in a place like this?" She told an outlined version of her life and exactly how rich she was. Claire listened with intensity. "So you're all alone?"

"I have my friends."

"But what about your family or love?" she asked. She couldn't believe that her new role model could be lonely.

"I send both my mother and sister checks every month to keep them out of my hair and my father died when I was seven. So that's what happened to my family."

"But what about love?" she pressed further. Karen only shrugged.

"I can't really answer that."

"Don't you have sex? I can't imagine living without sex." Karen laughed at the girl's ignorant confession.

"Honey, that's how you ended up pregnant." She said as she took her plate over to Rosario at the sink. Rosario smiled at her, knowing how hard she was running from the questions. The truth was that the maid knew about her employer and her lover. She made sure that she wasn't around whenever he came over because she was bound to walk in on them at any given moment and that was certainly not wanted.

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Karen and Claire talked for a while before the young woman decided to get some sleep. She thanked Karen again for everything she was doing and hugged her. Karen smiled and looked into her guest's eyes.

"Now, honey, if you need anything then just let me know. You remember where my room is right?"

"Yeah." She replied. "Thank you."

Karen watched as Claire made her way up the stairs. It was midnight and she knew that Will would arrive soon and she wanted to meet him at the door. She wanted to make sure that her houseguest was asleep before they made love. As she was thinking about Will he quietly walked through the front door.

"Hey sweetie." He said as she stood and greeted him with a hug. She pulled back and kissed his lips with passion. It felt like ages since she had last spent the whole night with him, but he told Grace that he had a date and that she shouldn't expect him home.

"I have something to tell you, honey." She said before she told him the story of Claire.

"So she's here right now?"

"Yeah she's in bed."

"Maybe I should come over some other night."

"Oh no, honey. I've been waiting for this all day." She said as she pulled him into a soft, sensual kiss. He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him as he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

He laid her on the bed and kissed down her neck. She lifted his shirt over his head and rolled over on top of him. She kissed down his chest and undid his pants before pushing them down his legs. She removed her own shirt and pressed her body to his, kissing his lips and invading his mouth with her tongue.

He pushed her pants down and rolled them back over so he was on top of her. He hurriedly unclasped her bra and began pulling down her panties. She grabbed his hands and looked into his eyes.

"Honey, go slow." She whispered. "We're not in a big hurry." He smiled and slowed his pace. He kissed her neck and ran his hands over her body. She pushed his boxers down his legs with her feet and pulled his lips up to hers. He settled himself in between her legs, but she stopped him again. "Would you mind wearing a condom?"

"What? We haven't used…"

"Never mind, I'm sorry." She apologized and kissed him again. Pregnancy fears were consuming her mind. She watched what Claire was going through and it took a strange toll on her. He pulled away and reached into her night table drawer for a condom. He slipped it on and resumed his position. He smiled at her before his tongue fought hers in a gentle kiss.

He entered her and began to thrust with the slow pace that she suggested before. She wrapped her legs around him and brought him deeper into her body. He nibbled on her earlobe as they continued to make love. It was soft and loving; unhurried and sensual. They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

Meanwhile, Claire was tossing and turning on the expensive mattress of the bed. When she first arrived at the manse she felt as if she were imposing on her new friend. Karen barely knew her and there she was in her house, asking to stay with her. But she knew that she had nowhere else to go. She was knocked up and homeless.

She got out of her bed and tried to find the bathroom. It was so hard to navigate through the mansion. It was huge. She somehow wandered back to the door of her room and decided to just suck it up and ask Karen. She hated waking her, but she really had to use the bathroom. She walked to the bedroom down the hallway and opened it softly. She tiptoed over to the side of the bed, but stopped in her tracks when she saw a man next to Karen. She smiled and quickly left the room, softly closing the door behind her. She decided that maybe she should try finding the bathroom on her own.


	25. Chapter 25

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The next morning Claire awoke to shouting from downstairs. She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, hoping to eavesdrop on whatever was happening. When she made it to the top of the stairs she peaked through the railing to see Karen and her lover in a yelling match.

"Why does it matter to you so much?" Will asked.

"Because I don't need another person judging me, Will!" She shouted back.

"Who gives a shit, Karen?! Are you telling me that what people think about you really gets to you?"

"Me?! What about you?!" She shouted as she stalked forward, an attempt to make him feel threatened. "You're the one who can't tell his best friend that he isn't really going to bars with Jack!"

"That isn't even what this is about! All I wanted was to spend the day with you!"

"You did not! You just wanted to get a free meal before you go out with James!"

"I told you that I broke up with him! I love you and I am not cheating on you! Why is it so hard for you to understand that?" He asked. She scoffed and took a step backwards.

"Then tell Grace about us." She whispered, crossing her arms. He looked up to her eyes.

"You know it's more complicated than that."

"Why, because you're a coward?" she asked.

"I am not a coward and you know it! Do you know what will happen when Grace and Jack find out about us? They'll leave us!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes I do! Look, I know you don't care about anyone other than yourself, but what about them? I can't hurt them like that, you heartless bitch!"

"Fuck you! Get out of my house!" she shouted as she pushed him into the door. They looked into each other's eyes, heavily breathing. They let the weight of their current argument fall into their minds, both knowing that it was just another meaningless dispute between them.

Without warning they rushed into a passionate kiss. She ran her hands through his hair as he pulled her closer by her waist. Their fight started because she didn't want her houseguest to know that she was having a secret love affair with a man whom everyone else believed she hated. There was also the minor fact that he was known to be gay.

"Maybe you should stay for breakfast, honey." She whispered after they broke the kiss.

"And I'll try to talk to Grace."

"Thank you. I'd really like that." They walked hand in hand to the kitchen and sat down to a table set for three.

Claire had no idea what these people's problems were. She only caught the fact that they were secret lovers and their friends didn't know. 'No wonder Karen was so secretive the night before,' she thought as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Karen." She said as she took a seat at the table.

"Morning, honey." She replied. "This is Will. He's another gay friend." Claire laughed.

"You don't have to lie to me, Karen. I won't tell anyone that you two are lovers. It's nice to meet you Will."

"How did you…"

"I can just tell." She smiled as she took a bite of her eggs and smiled. "Now who's Grace and when do I get to meet her?"

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Over the next few months Karen helped Claire get her life back on track. She helped her get a quick emancipation from her parents and get married to Steve. She also covered the costs of the small wedding ceremony and a little flat that the newlyweds were occupying. She opened a savings account for them in her name and gave Steve a job at Walker Inc. They were both very thankful and offered to repay her whenever they could.

Will watched Karen mother the young woman and his desire to have a child of his own was escalating. He didn't tell Karen about his growing fascination. He knew how sketchy she felt about children, but he had the feeling that she would be a great mother, if only he could talk her into it.

"What are you staring at, honey?" Karen asked as she read the paper on Will and Grace's couch. "You're making me feel self-conscious."

"I'm just thinking about something." Will replied as he sat down next to her on the couch. He placed his hand on her knee and continued to stare.

"Okay, what?" she pressed further, laying the paper down on the table.

"I don't know. We've been together for a year and a half and we've never talked about our future. Where do you see us going?"

"Hell if I know, honey. Why does it matter?"

"I just want to know what to expect. For example, are we going to tell our friends? Are we ever going to live together? Am I going to get to take you out on a date?" he asked. She could tell that the future was really weighing on his mind so she turned to sit so she was fully facing him, her legs crossed Indian style.

"I want to tell them too."

"When?"

"As soon as we can, honey." She replied. She leaned forward and kissed his lips. "I want you to be happy."

"I love you."

"I love you too, honey." Before they could carry their kiss any further, Jack and Grace burst through the door of the apartment.

"Will, I have a crisis. That guy at the gym asked me out tonight and I need you to help me figure out what I'm wearing. Come on." She said as she walked back to her bedroom. Will followed behind, winking at Karen.

"Hey Poodle, I need to talk to you about something. It's kind of important." Karen said as she pulled Jack to the couch.

"You know you can tell me anything, Karebear."

"I've been in a relationship for about a year and a half that I haven't told you about. I'm really sorry that I lied to you, honey, but I think you should know who it is."

"It's Will. I told you I knew when we were all going to spend the night at your house a while ago." He said. Her mouth fell agape and her eyes widened.

"You knew and you didn't say anything?"

"Well, Grace and I just figured you two would tell us when you were ready."

"Grace knows too? Was this a public announcement or something? How did you find out?" she asked, shooting questions quickly. Jack giggled.

"Well Grace didn't really believe me when I told her I thought you two were together so we decided to climb up the fire escape when you and Will were alone in the office. And my, my, my what a show we witnessed." He smiled. Karen felt blood rush to her cheeks and knew for a fact that she was intensely blushing.

"How much did you see?"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Kare. It was kind of hot." The red on her cheeks deepened. "You look cute when you blush."

"Okay, honey, stop it. I just need to know if you accept us or not. Please don't be angry." She said as she took his hands in hers. She looked into his eyes, pleadingly.

"You know, I was really angry with you Karen, when I first found out. I just didn't understand what was happening. You're happy, you don't drink or do drugs anymore, and now you even blush. I've never seen you show so much emotion about anything. I love it, Kare, and I love you. I'm just happy that you're happy." He said. She was shocked that something so true and serious came from Jack's mouth. She smiled before leaning forward and kissing his lips. "Now, is it okay for us to make out?" she laughed and nodded before opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue. He took her tongue in his mouth and they platonically kissed.

"Why do I always walk in when you're doing something gross with one of our friends?" Will asked when he walked into the living room. Karen pulled back from Jack and smirked.

"You just have perfect timing, honey." She replied before turning serious. "Did you tell her?"

"Yeah, and much to my surprise, she already knew. Thank you for meddling Jack."

"Hey I just call them as they come. And speaking of…" he let his last statement fade away as he gave Karen a suggestive look. She slapped his arm, playfully, and giggled.

"What is he talking about?" Will asked.

"It's not a big deal, honey. And if you really want to know I'll tell you on our date tonight."

"Our date?"

"Yeah, you're taking me out to celebrate our year and a half. And it better be fancy." She winked.


	26. Chapter 26

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"What?" Will asked after he choked on his water. Karen giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, they climbed up the fire escape when we were in the office."

"How much did they see?" he asked, intrigued.

"I don't want to know, but I'm sure it was more than they should have." She replied. "Honey, should we be embarrassed?"

"Are you?"

"A little bit." She admitted.

"Then let's do what embarrassed people are supposed to do. We'll pretend it never happened." He smiled.

"That sounds like a good plan." She said as the waiter picked their plates up from the table. "And thank you for a wonderful meal." He smiled, once again. There was something about her that always made him beam.

"You know what we have to do now don't you?" He asked. She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face, indicating that she did not know. "We have to tell our parents." She scoffed.

"My mother doesn't give a shit what's going on with me as long as the checks keep flowing her way. But telling your parents sounds like a plan."

"I just don't know what they'll think. I mean, they were finally used to the fact that I was gay. What will they say when they find out I'm…what am I?"

"A lesbian?" she questioned with a seductive smirk on her face.

"I'll take that." He replied, shrugging. "But seriously, when should we do it?"

"I don't know. Is it, by chance, something you could do over the phone?" she asked hopefully. He shook his head. "I do know that we should it at their house so we can leave quickly if anything goes wrong."

"I agree. I'll call them when we get to the limo. You want to spend the night?"

"Of course I do." she smiled. "Let's go."

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Will called his parents and set a time to be at their house on the weekend. They wanted to be alone when they went so they decided not to mention it to Jack and Grace. They would find out soon enough.

Driver took them to a video store where they found a couple of movies to watch together. They had never really taken the time to sit on the couch and watch movies alone. However, since Jack and Grace knew that they were a couple they could live and love freely. They were relieved that there would be no more hiding.

"I love you, honey." Karen said as soon as the elevator doors closed. He laced her fingers with his.

"I love you too." He replied. "Why are we getting sentimental?"

"I'm just glad to have you in my life." She said, openly. It was rare that Karen Walker ever voiced her true feelings and it warmed his heart. They stayed silent until a man got off the elevator on the fifth floor, leaving them alone. As soon as the doors closed Will pulled Karen into a heated kiss. He pressed her against the wall as they rose past the sixth floor and were on their way to the seventh.

Before the elevator could continue to rise Will reached over and hit the stop button, causing the whole apparatus to screech to a halt. Karen pulled back and gave him a questioning look. He ignored her look and began kissing her neck. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment, as he pulled her skirt up. He reached down the front of her panties and brushed his finger over her clit.

"Honey, let's go up." She whispered into his ear.

"Let's do it here." He replied before attacking her mouth with his. She whimpered as his finger made its way into her body and she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. It was too much for her to be able to remain on her feet so she used him for support. As soon as she could feel an orgasm building in her stomach, Will pulled his finger out of her body. She groaned in slight frustration, but was cut off when he pulled her panties down her body and pressed her into the corner of the elevator. She unbuckled his pants and slid them down his legs, along with his boxers, before he lifted her.

He pushed her harder into the corner as he spread her legs, placing the heels of her shoes in the railing along the walls on either side of him. He shoved into her, hard and her breath got caught in her throat. He didn't give her too much time to get used to him before he pulled out and shoved in again.

She felt him kiss her neck, knowing that he left a hickey. It didn't matter. The pleasure that was being forced into her was enough to keep her mind from wandering. He slowed his pace when he felt her body nearing an orgasm. He bit her earlobe and whispered into her ear.

"I want to hear you when you come." He said. Even after all the times they had been together she never once allowed herself to be very verbal during sex. Aside from a small sigh or a whimper he had never heard her vocalize her pleasure.

He pushed harder while feeling her body nearing a climax. She bit his shoulder, successfully stifling a moan. He stopped moving completely and whispered again.

"Come on, I want to hear you."

"Ugh, fine, just fuck me." She said, loudly. He complied and pulled out before plowing into her again. Her breathing became loud before she finally let go. "Oh!" she exclaimed, pulling him closer with her arms, her legs still wedged in the railing. "Oh my gosh." She loudly moaned in his ear. After a few more thrusts he finally came as well, filling her.

They stayed connected for a few minutes, catching their breath. He kissed her lips, sensually before pulling out. He helped her get her shoes out of the railing and she finally stood on her trembling legs, looking into his eyes.

"Was that loud enough for you?" she asked, seemingly upset. He finished buckling his belt.

"Yes. Are you angry with me?"

"No. I was just expecting you to make noise with me." She replied as she pushed the button for the ninth floor.

"I didn't know you wanted me to."

"Just do it with me next time. I'm not the star in some fetish film." She said. He laughed and she looked at him, confused. "What?"

"I was just thinking about something that Grace showed me a few years ago." He replied. The door opened and they walked out of the elevator only to bump into Jack and Grace.

"Hey, guys, how was your date?" Grace asked, giggling.

"It was wonderful, honey. I felt like the star of a film." She said, pecking Jack's lips and walking into Will's apartment. They all looked after her as she closed the door behind her.

"What's with her?" Jack asked.

"I just fucked something up. I think." Will replied. "Where are you two going?"

"We're going to see that one movie that just came out with that guy and the other guy and the pest control problem and the thing. You know?" Grace spoke.

"Okay, well, you have fun. I'm going to try and figure out what's wrong with Karen." He said as he walked over to his door. Jack's voice stopped him.

"Will," Jack said, picking something up in the elevator. "I think Karen forgot her panties." He said as he tossed the fabric in Will's direction. He caught them and his face took a mortified feature while the doors of the elevator closed.

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Will opened the door of his apartment with the intent of finding out what was wrong with Karen when he was hit with a shock. There were candles all over the living room and champagne chilling in ice on the coffee table. The stereo was playing classical music and Karen was standing in front of the couch, smiling.

"What is this all about?" he asked.

"I wanted to surprise you, honey. Jackie thought of the candles."

"Why did you act like you were mad at me?"

"Well I had to throw you off." She giggled as she walked over and kissed him softly. She handed him a glass of champagne and picked one up for herself.

"Should you be drinking?"

"I'll be fine, honey." She said. "Let's put in a movie."


	27. Chapter 27

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Karen spent every night for the rest of the week at Will and Grace's apartment. Grace was getting used to the fact that two of her best friends were a couple, but it was still strange. There weren't many public displays of affection between the two, but she had walked in on a few kisses.

It was Friday morning and Karen and Will were getting ready to go to his parent's house. He had baked a pie and brownies, hoping to soften the blow of his news. Karen was so nervous that she was shaking. She couldn't help the fact that she was scared of what George and Marilynn would say to them.

"Okay, the car is packed and ready to go. Are you?" Will asked as he walked back into the apartment. Karen stood from the couch and looked into his eyes.

"Honey, I don't know if I can do this. What if they hate me?"

"They already know you."

"Not really. They know me as Grace's assistant, but not as your lover. What if they hate me?" she panicked.

"They will love you, Kare." He said as he put his hands on her shoulders. "And if, by chance, they don't then I am breaking up with them. You will be fine." She nodded and he leaned down to kiss her lips. "Now are we ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be, honey." She said as she picked up her purse and they walked out the door.

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"Hello William." Marilynn greeted as they walked through the front door. She hugged him and looked to her other guest. "Why, Karen, I didn't know you were coming. I should have gone to the liquor store. I hope we have enough." She said as she walked over to close the door. Will silently apologized to Karen for his mother's behavior, noting a slightly hurt look flicker through her eyes before it disappeared.

"Where's Dad?" he asked as he hung his coat up and helped Karen take hers off as well.

"Oh he should be home soon. He's been gone all week on a business trip with his colleague. He said he'd be here for dinner." She replied. "Now what is this news that you wanted to tell us? I'm a little worried because the last time you said you had big news it was that you were gay. You're not dying are you?"

"No mom, I'm fine." Will replied. "I kind of want to wait for Dad to get here before I tell you."

"Well suite yourself. I'm going to check the roast." She said, making her way from the kitchen.

"Honey, she's going to hate us." Karen said as she rushed over to Will, who was taking a seat on the couch.

"She is not. Why don't you calm down?" he asked as he pulled her down to the couch by her arm.

"I don't want to ruin your relationship with your parents."

"You won't. Please just try to relax, okay?"

"Will, when did you get here?" George asked when he opened the door of his home.

"Hi Dad." Will greeted, standing up to give his father a hug.

"Hello Mr. Truman." Karen said, standing as well, but not moving to George.

"Karen? Hello." He said, looking to Will. "What's she doing here?" he whispered. Will gave him a dark look, knowing that Karen heard the tactless remark.

"George, is that you?" Marilynn asked, walking out of the dining room. "I thought maybe you had forgotten."

"How could I forget that my son is coming to dinner?"

"Well, dinner is ready everyone. Karen I found a couple of bottles of vodka for you in the refrigerator." Karen closed her eyes and held back a sarcastic and rude remark as everyone else moved to the dining room. Will grabbed her hand pulled her along with him, giving another apologetic look.

They all took their seats at the table, Karen sitting as far away from Marilynn as she could. Will cleared his throat and tried to speak. He found that it was difficult to begin the conversation so Karen took his hand in hers under the table for support.

"Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you." He began. "I met someone."

"What's his name? I'm sure it's a big deal if you came all the way here to tell us." George said.

"Actually it's a woman." He confessed. Their faces fell in shock as they awaited more of an explanation. "She and I have been together since Grace's wedding and we're in love."

"I can accept that William, but when do we get to meet her?"

"You already have. It's Karen."

The room fell silent. Karen's eyes darted back and forth between Will's parents, an attempt to read their thoughts. They stared at her before their eyes all turned to Will.

"Well I think we need to break out the wine." George said as he pulled the cork out of a bottle.

"Karen, would you mind leaving the room? I think this is a family discussion." Marilynn said, somewhat harshly. Karen nodded like a child and tried to stand so she could leave. Will pulled her back down into her chair, maybe too roughly, before looking to his mother in anger.

"Karen is considered family. I love her, mom. Whatever you need to say to me, you can say it in front of her too." He said, angrily.

"Very well then…" she began only to be stopped by George.

"Marilynn, don't say something you're going to regret."

"I will say whatever I want." She replied. "Will, I can accept the fact that you're with a woman. I can even accept the fact that you say that you love her, but not Karen. She's vulgar, William."

"She's not vulgar, she's wonderful. You know that I have never been happier than I am now?"

"And we're glad, son, but this is big. We barely know this woman. How do you know she isn't going to break you heart, or your bank account?" George spoke up.

Karen listened as they all fought back and forth. The words that his parents were saying were hurtful and tactless. She couldn't believe that they could be so cruel to the woman that their son loved, even if it was a woman like her. When she heard the phrase 'money hungry bitch' thrown into the conversation she stood from the table, tears fighting to break through to the surface.

"Thank you for dinner. It was very nice, but I have to go." She said to no one in particular. "I'll see you, honey." She said to Will before rushing into the living room to get her coat. Will ran after her, trying to stop her from leaving.

"Please, they're just in shock. I know we can talk this out." He said as she flipped her hair out of her coat with her hands.

"Honey, she said I was a money hungry bitch. He thinks that I'm after your money. I am not staying here just to listen to them insult me." She pecked his lips. "I'll be at your place, okay?"

"Here, go wait in the car." He said, handing her the keys.

"No, honey, I'll take a cab."

"No you won't. You go wait in the car and I'll be there in a minute."

"Will…"

"I'm going to say goodbye." He said, making his way to the dining room. She turned and walked out to the car. After getting into the passenger seat and turning on the engine she turned the heat on full blast, warming her chilled body. It was when the heat touched her frozen face that she let her tears fall. What his parents had said was so hurtful. She didn't understand how people could hate her when they didn't even know her.

She saw Will closing the door and making his way from the house. She hurriedly wiped the tears from her face and composed herself the best she could. He opened the door of the car and sat down, closing the door quickly and looking over to Karen.

"I'm sorry, honey." She said.

"Have you been crying?"

"No." she lied, turning her face back to look out the front of the car. "I didn't mean to fuck everything up for you."

"Karen, why do you always think everything is your fault?"

"Isn't it?"

"No. It's their problem." He replied, turning her face towards his by her chin. "I love you and I don't blame you for anything." He kissed her tenderly and wiped a tear from her cheek. "And I can tell when you've been crying. You don't have to hide from me."


	28. Chapter 28

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"I have a really big problem, Karen." Grace said as she walked into the office.

"What's wrong, honey?" Grace stopped at her assistant's desk and grabbed her hand.

"I think I'm pregnant."

"Holy shit."

"I know." She replied, walking over to her oversized desk and tossing her sketchpad on top. Karen walked over to her and took a seat on a stool.

"I'm going to need you to sit down and tell me everything. You're not sure?" Grace sat as well and ran her hand through her hair.

"Do you remember about four months ago when I went over to Leo's apartment to get a whole bunch of his stuff?" Karen nodded. "Well he came home early and caught me. We talked and one thing led to another and before I knew it we all over each other. The month after, I missed my period, and the next month too. And last month I missed it again. I figured it was stress and I didn't really make a connection, but I missed it again this month. Karen I don't know what to do."

"Honey, the first thing we need to do is calm down." She said. Grace nodded and took a deep breath. "Now we are going to turn the answering machine on and take you to the doctor."

"My doctor is out of town for another week."

"Then we're going to mine. He can give you the results of the test within the same visit."

"Your gynecologist is a man?"

"It's a blood test, Grace. Now come on." She said as she grabbed her coat and purse. Grace turned off the lights and locked the door as they made their way down to Karen's limo.

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"Honey, you're going to be alright." Karen said, hugging Grace in the back of the limo. Grace was in tears as she just received the news from the doctor.

"What am I going to do with a baby?"

"Listen to me. You are going to be a wonderful mother. And Will, Jack, and I will all be here to help you if you need anything, okay? Everything happens for a reason." She consoled, brushing the hair out of Grace's face while she cried.

"Thank you so much, Karen. I love you." She said as she leaned forward and hugged her. Karen was caught off guard by her deep display of friendship. She didn't know if it was appropriate to return the sentiment, but she felt that Grace needed the reassurance.

"I love you too, Gracie."

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"How in the hell can you be pregnant for four months and not even know?" Jack asked as soon as Grace broke the news to the guys. "Isn't that something you wonder about?"

"I guess I was in denial or something, I don't know." She replied. She turned to Karen, tear stains still evident on her face. "Thank you for everything. I'm going to sleep." She said before walking into her bedroom.

"Wow." Will said. "She was finally getting over him and now this." Karen walked over to the couch where Jack was and sat on his lap.

"Why is she crying, though? I thought pregnancy was supposed to make simple girls like Grace happy." Jack asked. Karen played with the hair on the back of his head before replying.

"Pregnancy can be scary, Poodle, especially when it happens on accident."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. She feels like she's taking a step backwards. But I think she's still in love with him."

"That's crazy, Karen. She doesn't love him." Will said as he sat next to them on the couch with a bottle of water in his hand. "He cheated on her."

"That doesn't mean that they don't love each other. People make mistakes." She reasoned, taking the water bottle from his hand and taking a drink before handing it back.

"I don't know."

"No, honey, you don't want to believe it."

"Are we really arguing about this?" Will asked. Karen smiled and shrugged.

"You two are disgusting." Jack said, taking Will's water bottle from his hand and taking a drink.

"No, you two are disgusting." Will replied as he snatched his water back from Jack's hand. "Get your own water."

Will was really worried about Grace. It was one thing that she was pregnant, but it was another that she could possibly go back to Leo. After the way he had hurt her, Will didn't know if he wanted him back in his best friend's life. However, almost a week later Grace came to him with the news that he couldn't wrap his head around.

"How do you know this is right for you, Grace?" Will asked when she broke the news that she and Leo were getting back together.

"I just know. It's going to be different this time. He wants to get married again and have this baby together. He said he never stopped loving me and has regretted his mistake every day since I left. Please be happy for me, Will."

"I don't know. I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I don't either, but I want to do this right."

"Then I support you." He finally said. She smiled and hugged him.

"That's all I need."


	29. Chapter 29

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Karen never called it making love until she was with Will. He turned sex into love making and made it unique every time. She assumed it was typical of a newer type of love, but she had never experienced a feeling quite like it.

She loved the way his lips felt when they traveled up and down her body, small kisses burning her skin. Then there was the way that he ran his hands through her hair when he accelerated his pace. She had never been with a man who could make her climax so often and so hard. No man had ever been able to make her come every single time they were together or more than once, but he could. She felt addicted to him.

"What are you thinking about, sweetie?" Will asked as he pulled her close to him, their naked bodies brushing one another. She smiled and sighed.

"I'm just thinking about how happy you make me. I feel like a real person." He chuckled and hugged her tighter. "What?"

"I just feel the same way. My life is finally about love."

"Aw, honey, that's so sweet…and overly sentimental so we should stop saying stuff like that." She said, giggling as he leaned down and nuzzled her neck. He rolled over on top of her and kissed her lips. She smiled into his mouth as he deepened the kiss and massaged her tongue with his. He pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Will you move in with me?" he asked. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

"Do you really want me to live with you? I'm not exactly easy to live with. And what are we going to do with all of my stuff?"

"I don't know. I figure that your clothes and shoes go in Grace's old room, along with any boxes of personal items and stuff like that. And I was also thinking that we could replace some of my furniture with yours. What do think?"

"Honey, how long have you been thinking about this?"

"Ever since Grace decided to go back to Leo." He admitted. She smiled and kissed his lips again.

"Well I would love to move in with you."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that." He said, kissing her again, running his hand down her body. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. Without warning the door burst open. They both screamed and made sure that they were covered.

"Do you two ever keep your clothes on?" Jack asked and he walked further into the room.

"Poodle, what the hell are you doing here?" Karen asked as Will rolled off of her. Jack walked over to her side of the bed and she scooted over so he could lie down.

"I just broke up with Todd and I'm feeling blue. I needed to talk to my Karebear." He said, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Do you really think this is the right time? I'm kind of naked."

"We've showered together, Kare." He said. She shrugged so he continued to tell the story of how Todd cheated on him with a trainer at their gym. She listened intently and rubbed his head, her maternal side shining through once again. Will smiled at the sight. While Karen was consoling Jack the door burst open once again. The three friends screamed, but settled down when they realized that it was just Grace, in her pajamas.

"Do you two ever keep your clothes on?" she asked.

"What do you want, Grace?" Will asked. She walked over to his side of the bed and pushed him closer to Karen so she could lie down as well.

"Leo got paged and I'm pregnant and alone. I figured I'd come and see my two favorite lovers." She said, cuddling up to Will's side. After a moment Will and Grace both jumped. "Oh my gosh." She said.

"What's wrong?" Karen asked, alarmed.

"Was that the baby?" Will excitedly asked.

"Yeah I think it was."

"Aw, let me feel." Karen said as she sat up, holding the sheet to her chest, and placed her hand on Grace's growing belly. After another moment the baby kicked again. "Oh, honey. This is amazing." Jack reached over as well and soon they all had a hand on Grace's stomach.

"Karebear, when are you going to have a baby? You and Grace could raise them together." Jack said after they all lay back down. Her eyes darted over to him and she gave off a shocked expression.

"Since when is my uterus any of your business, honey?" she asked, eliciting a laugh from the others.

"But have you thought about it?" he asked, pressing the subject. Karen looked over to Will and he shrugged. She turned her gaze back to Jack.

"I'm not fit to be a mother. Motherhood is for people like Grace." She smiled and grabbed Grace's hand that was resting on Will's stomach.

They dropped the subject, knowing that it had never been discussed. The four friends fell asleep before Grace or Jack could remember to get up. The night passed by, all of them getting a peaceful sleep.

Grace was the first to awaken the next morning. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She looked over Will's sleeping body to find him face-to-face with Karen. She smiled when she saw Jack had his head on top of Karen's and was watching them sleep as well.

"Did we really miss how perfect they are for each other?" She whispered, hoping not to wake them. Jack smiled.

"I think so. I like seeing them happy."

"Maybe we should leave and let them wake up alone."

"You're right. Naked and alone." He joked as they both stood from the bed. They retrieved all of their belongings from the night before and closed the door behind them on their way to the kitchen.

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"Karen, what the hell is in this box?" Will asked as he almost dropped a heavy box of her belongings. They had been moving her things over all morning and were exhausted.

"I don't know. It looks like some of my books." She replied, hanging up the last of her clothes. She walked over to him and opened the box that was lying at his feet. She pulled a few stacks of books out and stacked them on a bookshelf that she had driver bring over earlier. Will noticed a small composition note book fall out from in between two books. It was thick, but it seemed that almost every page was full.

"What's this?" he asked, picking the note book up off of the floor. She turned and walked over to him quickly, grabbing it out of his hands.

"It's, uh…" she began only to be cut off by Will.

"Stop making up a lie and tell me." He said. She realized that he knew her almost as well as she knew herself, maybe better. She shrugged and decided that he could be trusted.

"It's nothing really, honey. I just kept a journal when I was a teenager, before and after I left home. I didn't even know I still had it." She said, hiding it behind a book. He committed the name of the book to memory, hoping to take a peek at the journal again. "So what are we doing for dinner tonight?" she asked, brightly turning back to him.

"I don't know. Do you want to go out?"

"We can order a pizza." She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You want pizza?"

"Yeah, honey. We can watch movies or light a fire." She suggested. He laughed at her down-to-earth side and kissed her on the lips. He then leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I love you."

They ordered a medium pizza and watched a romantic comedy that evening. They also watched a stand up comedian on television before they went to bed, laughing and retelling the jokes that they had heard. It was when they were lying in bed that Will asked a burning question.

"Have you ever thought about having a baby?" he asked. She turned her head to face him quickly, accidentally causing them to bump heads. "Ouch!"

"I'm sorry, honey." She apologized. She kissed the place where his head had collided with hers and looked into his eyes.

"So have you?" he asked, never letting up.

"No. I don't want children." She said, cuddling her face into his pajama shirt.

"Why not?" He asked. "I thought you liked kids. You work with them for god sakes."

"Honey, I work with kids who are practically adults. And I only see them twice a week."

"Maybe, but what about Claire?" he continued. "She is still very much a child and you've been helping her. Why don't you want to have one of your own?"

"I'm scared." She whispered, barely audible.

"Scared of what? You can tell me."

"I don't know, honey." She sighed. "After my mother got pregnant with my sister my parents' problems got a lot worse. They always fought, but it got almost violent when Gin was a baby."

"What does that have to do with you? We aren't your parents."

"I know, but I don't want to end up like them."

"Sweetie, what aren't you telling me?" he whispered after a moment.

"She killed him." It took him a moment to understand what she was talking about, but his eyes widened when it all became clear.

"How do you know?"

"I watched her." She admitted. He pulled her closer, silently urging her to continue. "I was about seven and Gin was four. Mom and Daddy were fighting about us, as usual, and she hit him. It was like I was watching a television show. I wanted to scream, 'hit her back,' but I just kept watching."

"How did she do it?" he asked. He wanted her to know that it was safe to let out her pain. She had obviously been carrying her feelings of guilt around for many years.

"Well, first he told her that she needed to take responsibility for their children. She said that it was his fault that she had us and she never wanted to be a mother. She actually said that she wished we were all dead, Will." She said, leaning up to look him in the eyes. He wiped a stray tear that fell from her eye and she continued. "I watched her walk into the kitchen and start making dinner. Daddy was always allergic to pineapple juice, it made his throat swell to the point that he couldn't breathe. She mixed it in with his soup and handed it to him. He started eating it before I understood what was going on."

"Is that how he…?"

"Yeah, honey. He died right on our living room couch." She said, finally allowing her tears to fall. She didn't sob, though. She composed herself, already having many years to mourn the loss of her father. "When I confronted my mother she said that it was my fault. She said that if I would have just been a decent child then she wouldn't have had to do it. I was seven years old."

"Oh, Karen, you know it's not your fault."

"I know, honey. But if I were to have a child, I don't know if I would be like her. What if I hate my own baby, Will? I don't want to put my own flesh and blood through what I went through. What if I'm her?"

"You will never be her." He said firmly. He pulled her on top of him and held her around the waist. "You are a caring, sweet, wonderful woman, no matter what anyone else says. I know you and I know that you would be a sensational mother. Maybe not practical, but great at your job." She smiled a thank you before kissing his lips.

"Thank you, honey. I'll think about it, for you."

"And for yourself." He added.

"Okay. I love you." She said, kissing his lips once more and rolling over next to him.

"I love you too, sweetie." He replied, allowing her to fall asleep in his arms. He lay still for a moment, knowing that there was still something that she wasn't telling him.


	30. Chapter 30

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Karen had been asleep for about two hours after her confession. Will couldn't believe that she told him about her mother. He couldn't believe that her mother really was as bad as Karen made her sound. It made him think back to his parents, who he still wasn't talking to. They weren't perfect, but they always made sure that there was some kind of love in the house.

He looked over to the beautiful sight beside him and his mind began to question the rest of her life. She had told him many secrets, but they all involved something happening in the present tense, never her past. The story she had told that night was really one of the only things he knew about her childhood and he craved more. He wanted to know everything about her, not just the little things that made her tick.

He slowly stood from the bed and went to the bathroom. Afterwards, he walked over to the room with all of Karen's belongings, hoping he could find her old journal. He grabbed it from its hiding place on the bookshelf and looked at the cover. It seemed worn, but still in pretty good condition. He moved over to the nightlight in the corner of the room and sat on the floor. He opened the book and noted that it was his lover's scrawl from when she was seven years old.

He felt horrible that he was going through such lengths to get to the pain that Karen was going through, but he didn't want to ask her. Every time she tried to speak about her past, he found that she barely could. She had obviously tried to block everything out and he didn't want to rehash old events. He began reading:

_I don't know how to write in a journal. I have to do it though. I'll probably go nuts if I keep all of this stuff in my head. I know she killed him. Mom killed daddy. It was a week ago and I'm already starting to forget him. I loved him so much._

He flipped through the pages furiously, taking in everything about her as a child. He noted the way her handwriting would change from when she was happy to when she was sad. Many of the events were tragic, her mother separating her from her sister and moving from town to town pulling scams. He could tell that it had taken a major toll on her through the writing. She wrote about the places that they went to, all of the scams they pulled. It wasn't until Karen was fourteen that things really started to get worse.

_November 7_

_She hates me. The frigid bitch said it again. I wish I were old enough to leave, or brave enough to end my own life. I hate her like she hates me. _

_We moved again. This is the sixth time this year and I don't know where I fit in. I've never had a friendship that lasted more than a couple of months. I've never been kissed either, but maybe that isn't too big of a deal. I'm only fourteen, almost fifteen. My birthday is in a few days. I hate November. She always forgets my birthday and it's just another reminder of how she hates me. I hate her._

_November 23_

_She forgot my birthday, again. It's the 12__th__, Mother! She does have a new boyfriend, though. That could be the reason she forgot this year. His name is Bernie and I think he may stick for a while. I don't like him very much; he's perverted and always tries to get me to strip for him. To be fair he has never once touched me and for that I am thankful._

_November 31_

_He may have never touched me before, but he did today. It wasn't at all like I expected because it wasn't in a sexual manner. He asked me to strip for him and I told him no. He kept bugging me about it so I told him to fuck off. I didn't think too much about it because I can never keep my mouth shut, but he hit me so hard that I tasted blood. Nobody has ever hit me before and I don't know what to do. I'm scared and there's nobody to talk to._

Tears welled up in Will's eyes as he continued to read into the early hours of morning. He didn't have to work so he felt no need to stop. He just wanted to make sure that he hid the journal before Karen caught him reading it. She would undoubtedly be angry with him if she knew. He skimmed the rest of the year and some of the following year until something caught his eye.

_May 18_

_I really like Mitchell. We've been dating for four months, the longest I remember ever being in one place. My mother doesn't know and I'm not telling her. We usually sneak out when she and Bernie are pulling a scam. They are so blind to what I am doing. I don't know why I'm surprised. They don't care. Well, neither do I. He's coming to get me tomorrow when they leave and we'll be alone, finally. I miss him._

_June 20_

_Mitchell raped me. That lying bastard raped me. He said we were going out to the lake to watch the stars. He knows how much I love the stars and he fucked me underneath them. I didn't want it at all. I tried so hard to make him stop, but he is twice my size._

_I ran away after he did it. I ran so fast that my legs felt hot. It wasn't until I ran home and into my bathroom that I realized that my legs were only hot because of the blood that was running down them. I tried to wash my dress, but it's ruined, much like my soul. I've never wanted to die more than I do right now._

Will wiped the tears from his eyes and laid the book down on his lap. He was astonished that she was keeping all of this in her book, a way to keep it out of her head. He decided to keep reading. Karen wanted to be at work early and he was supposed to wake her up at eight a.m. It was only four so he knew that he had some time before he went back to bed.

The rest of the pages were filled with stories of anguish. She wrote about how her classmates treated her at school. Mitchell telling them about how much of a whore she was and how she cried all the time. She didn't cry in front of people and that's when Will decided that her heart began really turning into ice.

_July 8_

_I waited for it for weeks, hoping it would come. It didn't. I'm pregnant. I have a bastard child growing inside of me and I don't want it. I'm fifteen years old. What kind of a whore has a baby at fifteen? I don't even have my driver's permit._

_I don't think that I can get rid of it though. It's wrong to kill someone that is a part of me. But it's also a part of him and I want to kill him. How do I choose? Could I actually love a baby that will remind me of so much? Maybe I can. I owe it to this child. My mother fucked up my life, but I refuse to let the same thing happen to my baby. I want to do this right._

He skimmed through a few more months before finding the next heartbreaking event in her life. He read about how she hid her pregnancy from her mother, knowing she would kick her out if she told. He never knew that it could have possibly been so bad for her.

_September 12_

_I'm starting to show. I'm only three months pregnant and I'm starting to show. I knew this day would come, but what do I do? My mother will kick me out for sure when she finds out, but I want this baby more than anything right now. I will do anything for her. Yes, I have a strong feeling that it's a girl. I want to name her Nevaeh. I know it's a silly name that she will probably hate when she gets older, but it symbolizes a lot to me. Its heaven spelled backwards. I think that's where she was sent from._

_October 8_

_She knows. The way she looks at me when I walk into a room and the way I've been gaining weight. She asked me why I've stopped dancing and I can tell that she knows. I'm four months along. This can't be happening to me right now. I can't just sit around and wait for her to kick me out, I need to leave. I need to get out of here before they make me give her up. I'm still considered a minor and they can do that. I love her too much to let her go now. I refuse. I've decided that when I turn sixteen I'm leaving. I'm going to New York and I am never coming back. _

_October 18_

_I've found a way to make a little money. I discovered that by sitting on the bench by the park I can make one hundred dollars a person. I know it's illegal and morally wrong, but there's no other way for me to make money. I don't let them have sex with me. I'm sure I would make more if I did, but all they ask me to do is put their cock in my mouth and suck them. I'm not being indelicate. That's exactly how they ask me to do it. I can't even look at myself in the mirror anymore._

That was an ending point for the evening. He had to get to bed and pull a sort of curtain over the reality that was his lover's life. He folded the corner of the page he was on, only slightly, and hid it back behind the books on the shelf. He wiped a few remaining tears off of his face and walked back into his and Karen's room. He lay down next to her and brushed a strand of hair from her face. He pulled her close, almost too tightly, and fell asleep. He clung to her for the remainder of the night.


	31. Chapter 31

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"Honey, are you going to wake up?" Karen asked, her breath tickling Will's ear. He smelled her Chanel perfume and his eyes opened. She was showered and dressed, ready to leave for work.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, still in a daze, immediately remembering the stories he had read about her. She gave him a confused look.

"I'm fine, but I think you need to get some more sleep. You look sick." She replied. Of course she wouldn't understand the real meaning of his question. She had no idea that he knew anything that she was so intent on forgetting.

"Maybe I should." He replied, sitting up and pulling her in for a tight hug.

"Honey, I'm going to work not to war." She joked. He pulled back and kissed her hard on the mouth.

"I love you more than anything, Kare. I love you more than you will ever know."

"Do you want me to stay home with you? You're really scaring me." She said while putting a hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"No, you go to work. I just had a dream that you weren't in my life and it freaked me out a little bit. I'm okay." He lied. She just nodded her head and kissed him.

"I'm going to lunch with Jackie today so I'll see you around five thirty. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will, Sweetie. I love you." He said once again.

"I love you too." She said, kissing him once again and going off to work. He stayed in bed for another fifteen minutes and though about the night before. He sighed before getting up and having his breakfast.

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_November 10_

_My birthday is in two days. I'll be sixteen and I'm leaving then. I've learned to stay away from Bernie to avoid getting hit or beaten. I wear baggy clothes so my mother stops staring at my stomach. She hasn't said anything and I don't give a fuck if she cares. I bought a bus ticket and I've started packing my things. I don't have very much so it won't be too hard to leave in the middle of the night. I will never have to see her face again. _

_November 12_

_Happy birthday, Karen, you're free. I left when my watch clicked on midnight. I hurried and got all of my things together and I walked out the front door. I don't know if they heard anything; I didn't look back. I got on that bus and I'm on my way to New York. Manhattan will be the perfect place to raise my baby girl._

_I felt her kick. As soon as I sat in this cushion-less bus seat she kicked me. It has finally become real that I'm going to be a mother. I don't know how I'm going to afford anything, but I've saved about four thousand dollars. This means that I truly have been a whore, just like my mother said I would be. As long as nobody finds out about this then I guess I can try to move on and forget about everything. The bus has just passed the border of New York. I'm here._

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"Have you talked to Will today?" Karen asked Grace after she returned from a lunch date and shopping spree with Jack.

"No. Was he supposed to call?"

"He said he would if he needed anything, but honey, he was acting really strange this morning. I don't want to bother him." She said, arranging her bottles of nail polish on her desk. "I think he's hiding something from me."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I told him a little secret about when I was a kid and I think it kind of freaked him out." She admitted. Grace looked at her with curiosity.

"What did you tell him?"

"It was just something about my parents. Maybe I'll call him."

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_December14_

_I've hit the six month mark in my pregnancy. I can't believe that I got away with leaving. I'm renting a one bedroom apartment next to the dance studio that I work at. It's right down the road from the rich area of the city. I go to work every day and get to look at all of the rich people in their limousines. It all looks so fantastic._

_I called Gin yesterday. I know it was a risky move, but I needed to talk to her. She's the only person other than Daddy that I've ever trusted. I don't know if she keeps in touch with Mom, but I won't let her lose touch with me. I just hope she doesn't tell._

The phone rang, effectively bringing Will out of his daze. He had been reading ever since Karen left for work that morning. He cleared his throat and answered the phone.

"Hey, honey, are you feeling better?" asked Karen's cheerful voice.

"I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm just worried about you. You can talk to me about anything, you know."

"I know. I think I'm just going to take a nap or something. What time will you be home again?"

"I'll probably get there around five thirty. Do you need me to bring anything home?" she asked, still concerned.

"Just yourself." He replied. She smiled and they said their goodbyes.

He felt horrible for invading her privacy. He couldn't get over the fact that he was betraying her trust. He wanted to get the stories from her, but she would never tell them the way her journal did. It was the real her and he wanted to know that person.

_December 20_

_They know I'm in Manhattan. Gin squealed when they were on the phone. I didn't know that they kept in touch anymore. I can't even write about it._

_December 24_

_They're trying to find me. I know because the woman at the bank said they were asking questions. She said that she told them where I work. This is unbelievable. I'm trying to live my life and they are stalking me. Tomorrow is Christmas._

_On a side note, I love everything about being pregnant. If it weren't for the weight or the way in which she was conceived, it would be a perfect situation. I just hope that once I get rid of my mother I can give my little girl a life that will be perfect. I love her so much._

_December 28_

_They knocked on my door on Christmas morning. They walked into my house without me even answering the door. I was in my pajamas and they just walked in and began harassing me, telling me that I needed to come back home. It wasn't hard at all to tell them that this is my home now. I can still hear the words that she said to me before she walked out the door. "You'll never make it on your own. You're short, heartless, and knocked up. Nobody will ever want you. You have a nasty high pitched voice and your tits are too big for your body. You'll end up alone."_

_How could she say that to her own flesh and blood? I told her that I never wanted to see her again and pushed her out the door. I expected Bernie to follow her without a word, but he didn't. He hit me hard in the face and pushed me to the ground. He kicked me in the stomach over and over. That bastard kicked a six month pregnant woman in the stomach. He was trying to kill my baby. After he left I cried. I couldn't lose the only thing that mattered in my life. I hurried to the hospital without another thought. I didn't lose her, but now I have another fucking hospital bill hanging over my head. I had to pick up another job at a coffee shop across the street. I don't care what that bitch says. I'm going to make something of myself._

Will heard the door open and hurriedly put the book away. He grabbed his cloth he used for dusting and walked into the living room. He saw Karen hanging up her coat and walked over to kiss her on the lips, never giving her a chance to say anything.

"What was that for?" she asked after they broke apart.

"I just missed you." He said shyly before kissing her again.

"Okay, honey, you need to talk to me." She said as she pulled him over to the couch and sat down. He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes.

"You will be so angry with me, Kare." He said. She felt her heart shudder for a moment before urging him to tell her. She grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. "I read it."

"You read what?"

"I only read a little ways through it. I didn't get past New Years."

"Honey, tell me what you're talking about."

"What happened to Nevaeh?" he asked. Her eyes widened and she pulled her hand away from his. "I'm so sorry I did it, Karen. It was like I was on automatic and before I knew it the pages were turning in front of me."

"Oh my God." She said, softly. She took a ragged breath and stood from the couch. "I'm going to go take a bath, honey." She was trying to let him know that she wanted to leave the whole situation out of mind.

"No." he said, grabbing her hand. She slapped him away, but he followed her when she walked into the bathroom. "Please talk to me about this."

"About what, Will?" she shouted, turning around to face him. "I told you that my childhood was unbearable. And I told you how much my mother fucked with my head. You read about it. What, do you want me to yell at you for betraying my trust?"

"Yes. Because I know that what I did was wrong." He said, softer than her tone. He wanted to understand her, not argue with her. "But, Karen, I want to hear it from you. I want to know everything about you and you make it impossible for that to happen. Why won't you open up to me?"

"You've already found a way around that so what's the point?"

"That is the point. You need to realize that you can trust me. When you hurt, I hurt. Maybe not in the same way, but I feel for you. Please let me in."

"She died, okay!" she screamed, leaving a long suspension of noise in the air. He walked closer to her and pulled her into a hug. She held him tightly, her body wracking with tears. She spoke while crying against his chest. "I fell. I was in labor and on my way to the hospital. I couldn't find a cab and the sidewalk had ice all over it. I was panicking and I just slipped and fell too hard."

"Oh, sweetie." He cooed as he hugged her tighter to his body, letting her cry. "I'm so sorry."

"I should have called an ambulance instead of trying to go by myself." She said softly.

"It's not your fault. It just wasn't meant to be. You were sixteen and a victim of…"

"Don't say it." She said, pushing him away from her and standing tall. "I put everything in that book so I can draw a line under it. I want to forget, honey."

"That's not a good way to deal with things."

"Are you really the right person to tell me about dealing with things? You and your parents still haven't talked to each other. How long has it been?"

"Stop victimizing me. This isn't about me…"

"I know." She whispered. She stood still for a moment, thinking, before walking into the living room and putting her coat on. "Come on, put your coat on." He complied.

"Where are we going?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is her, honey." Karen said, in a somber tone. She held his hand in hers as they stood in front of a small grave. She bent down and put a diminutive daisy on the cold, marble stone.

"Oh." Will replied, softly. He had no idea what one would say in a moment like that. He was thankful that the moment didn't last too long. She grabbed his hand and led him to her limo. She had Driver take them to an old apartment building and he stopped outside.

"This is where I lived when I first moved to Manhattan. And over there…" she pointed. "That's where I fell."

"Why are we here?"

"You said you wanted to hear it from me. This is me telling you my story, honey." She said, very coldly. He knew that she only sounded cold because she was holding back sadness. She had become very good at detaching herself a long time ago.


	32. Chapter 32

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Will and Karen walked through the door of their apartment about two hours later. They hung up their coats and she slipped out of her shoes. Her forehead only came up to his lips and he, for the first time, noticed how incredibly small she was.

"Honey, I want you to read the rest of that journal." She said, looking up into his eyes. "I honestly can't tell you the rest. I can talk about it, but I can't tell it. Please don't make me."

"I can wait for you."

"No. I want you to read it." She said, leaning up and kissing his cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you." She said, not waiting for a response before she walked into their bedroom, grabbed her pajamas, and started a bath.

He walked into the room he had dubbed the library and got her book. He brought it into their bedroom and sat it on the table on his side of the bed. After changing into his pajamas he crawled into bed and opened the book, reading freely.

_April 16_

_After I lost her I thought my life would end. I thought that she was the only thing keeping me sane, and maybe she was for a while. But now I am completely free from everything. I'll never forget the nine months that I had my baby girl growing inside of me, but it's like I've closed a chapter in my so far meaningless life. I'll miss her, but I will always remember her little face before they wheeled her away._

_May 7_

_I've decided to go to college. I just finished getting my GED and I got accepted at a little community college. I'm majoring in music and my minor is business. I'm starting the summer courses in two weeks. I am so nervous. I wonder what Daddy would say, if he's proud of me. I hope he's taking care of his granddaughter in heaven._

"Where are you?" Karen asked, lying down next to him on the bed, her glasses on and her hair still damp. He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"College is starting in two weeks." She nodded.

"She's about to lose her virginity." She said, turning on to her back and looking at the ceiling.

"Who's she?"

"The woman in that journal." She replied. "I haven't been that woman in years, honey." She said, leaning over and kissing his lips. "I love you." She said. She got under the covers and silently prayed before falling asleep. Will continued to read all the way to the end of July.

_July 28_

_I'm such a whore, still. I went to talk to Mr. Tyler about my term paper. This short summer semester is almost over and I really need this grade. I need it to keep my financial aide. I went to talk to him, asking for extra credit. I told him I'd do anything to get an A. He took me literally and before I knew it we were panting on his desk. I feel so dirty. I just lost my baby and here I am fucking my Science professor. I may not be good at Science, but I must be good at something. He gave me an A plus paper right before I walked out. I got drunk on cheap beer and vodka when I got home. It doesn't matter how I got it when I'm only sixteen._

_September 3_

_I've been dating John for a whole month now. It's a real adult relationship and he doesn't expect too much from me. I've been on the pill for a while so it doesn't really bother me to have sex with him, which he doesn't seem to care all that much about. I've never met a man who wasn't addicted to sex or blowjobs. It's nice to connect with somebody, finally._

_October 19_

_We got married last night. He asked me to marry him, I said yes, and before I knew it we were standing in line at the courthouse with blood work in our hands. I don't know if I love him, but I know that with him I am safe. I get to quite my job at the coffee shop and he's moving into my apartment. I'm making something of myself, mom. Fuck you._

Will couldn't help, but smile a little bit. It was still a sad situation, but he noticed his stubborn, mouthy Karen in this young woman. He couldn't believe that she had used sex as a weapon when she was raped almost a year before. He didn't understand how she continued to just carry on with life. She was so determined to just live.

_November 13_

_I turned seventeen years old yesterday. I came home and expected to celebrate with John, my husband. He was fucking some blond on my couch. I filed for divorce today. I am not getting walked over like some piece of street trash. Why is it that every person in my life has to hurt me? I don't know how much more of this I can take. I just did a line of cocaine. Who am I?_

He continued to read through her quick divorce, her marriage to her divorce lawyer after the proceedings were through, and the ultimate demise of her second marriage. Her second husband cheated on her as well. He didn't understand how a man could cheat on somebody as wonderful as Karen. Sure she could be a handful, but once her seemingly ice cold heart melted for a person, they were always taken care of. She had so much room in her heart for people who constantly ended up hurting her.

_August 21_

_I did it again. I'm a divorced woman for the second time in my life and I'm not even eighteen yet. How the hell does a minor even get married without parental consent anyway? I guess it's all about knowing the right people._

_I'm alone and living in this same apartment again. I took on so many classes that I'll be able to graduate at the end of this semester. I have no personal life, no friends or anything. I guess it's hard to like someone who would fuck a professor for a grade. Either way, I'm going somewhere with my life. I just wish I knew how, and where._

Will laid the journal down on the table. He wanted to leave it on a decent note before he went to sleep. He turned off the light and rolled over next to Karen. He wrapped his arm around her body and held her close. He didn't cry for her like he did the night before. Instead of crying he observed her. He looked at her soft skin. Without makeup on she looked sweet and innocent. She had small freckles all over her face and little lines were beginning to form next to her eyes.

They were getting older. She got more beautiful as she aged, but he wanted a child. He wanted a baby that was their own. He understood why she didn't want one, but he also thought she would regret her decision if she didn't.

"I love you." He whispered, kissing her semi-freckled cheek and pulling her close before falling asleep.


	33. Chapter 33

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"Hi, Kare." Jack said as he walked into the dance studio. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, honey. I just have to get these kids out of here." She replied, slipping into her heels. "Hey, guys, I have to lock up." She said to the students. They mumbled an okay before gathering their things and saying goodbye to Karen before leaving.

"They really like you. Are you having fun with this?" He asked, picking up one of her bags to carry for her. She smiled.

"I'm having a blast." She said. She turned off the lights and locked the doors behind them before they began walking down the sidewalk.

"I'm glad you're happy. But I do have a question."

"What's that, Poodle?"

"Why don't we spend as much time together anymore? We used to see each other every day, but now we don't."

"Jackie, you're over at my apartment a lot. We go to lunch all the time." She replied. She knew that their friendship had been a little strained since she and Will came out about their relationship, but she knew it would get better. They were best friends.

"I don't know. I just feel like since you have Will in your life you don't share with me as much. It's like being your lover is so great that everyone else gets forgotten." He thought for a moment. "How good are you Karen?" she laughed and took his hand in hers.

"Honey, you have no idea." She said. He laughed as well and they decided to always make time for each other, no matter what was happening in their lives.

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Meanwhile, Will was finishing some paperwork at his office. He decided that he needed to get back to his normal life before he got too overtaken with Karen's old journal. It was like a drug to him, finding out things about her past.

After another hour of paperwork he was finally ready to go home. He laid his head back in his chair and closed his eyes. He was hoping to cut through the splitting headache he had had all morning. When he finally began to relax he heard the door open.

"Ben, I'm already finished with the Johnson's file. I put the notes on your desk." Before he could continue, he felt soft lips on his. He pulled back and opened his eyes.

"Karen, you scared the hell out of me. What are you doing here?" He asked as she straddled his lap, her heels clicking against the wheels of the chair.

"I came to surprise you." She smiled. "Open my coat." He lifted his fingers and unbuttoned the top two buttons before realizing that she wasn't wearing any clothes.

"It's freezing outside. Did you walk all the way here in you bra and panties?" he asked. She giggled as he finished unbuttoning. She pushed the coat off of her shoulders.

"I said I wanted to surprise you, honey." She kissed his neck and began loosening his tie. He lightly grabbed her hands.

"We can't do this here."

"Why can't we?" she asked. She looked down to the growing bulge in his pants. "I'm pretty sure you can." She smiled. He rolled his eyes and tried to push her off of him. She frowned and held him down. "Honey, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"We're in my office. What if someone walks in?"

"I locked the door and pulled down the blinds."

"People do have keys."

"Then we'll give the janitor a show. Why don't you want to have sex with me?"

"I do."

"Then do it." She said harshly. He looked at her with a shocked expression. She looked away from his eyes, embarrassed by her own tone of voice. "I should go." She whispered, standing from Will's lap and putting her coat back on.

"Karen…" he began as he stood to meet her gaze.

"No, honey, I'll see you at home." She buttoned the last button of her coat and tied the bow around the waist. She walked out the door and headed towards the elevator.

Will hurried to pick up his briefcase and coat. He turned off the lights of his office and ran after her. He took another elevator and ran out of the building onto the sidewalk. It must have started raining right before Karen left because the streets were not yet sparkling like sheets of glass. He ran in through the rain, down the sidewalk. Karen was wearing heels so he knew that she wouldn't be running and she had way too much dignity to take a dirty cab. He finally spotted her at a street corner that was two blocks from their apartment.

"Karen, why did you leave?" he asked, grabbing her arm. The rain began to pour harder as she looked into his eyes. He suddenly realized that she was crying. She had let her guard down in public and he knew that something was seriously wrong with her.

"I shouldn't have bothered you at work, honey. I'm sorry." She said, trying to walk away from him, but he pulled her back to his body and hugged her. She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let go. She finally succumbed to her weakness and wrapped her arms around him. They rushed home together in silence.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Will and Karen walked into the apartment drenched with rain. They still hadn't spoken to one another and he was feeling very worried for her. She was very pale and he could only imagine how cold she must feel, barely wearing anything.

"Are you going to say anything?" he asked, taking his shoes off and dropping his wet coat and socks by the door.

"You don't see _me_ anymore do you?" she asked, shivering under her coat.

"What are you talking about?" she shrugged and walked into their bedroom. He followed her and closed the door. He took his wet clothes off until he was only in his boxers. "Will you talk to me?"

"Why don't you want to have sex with me? Am I that horrible now?"

"Of course not, Kare, I love you." He said. "Let's get you into something warm." He suggested as he untied her coat. She slapped his hands away.

"Leave the coat. I'm serious Will."

"You're serious about what? What is it about you that I don't see?"

"Me." She said. She sniffled a little, but pulled herself together. "You've been reading that fucking journal like it's me. We don't talk like we used to and we haven't made love in three nights. We're like addicts, honey. We used to do it all the time." She said, taking her coat off and standing before him in black, lacey underwear.

"Sweetie, I'm just trying to learn all there is to know about you. I figured that when you told me to read it, you were okay with me reading it."

"I was, but I've changed my mind."

"Does it get worse?"

"Honey, everything always gets worse."

"You're not making any sense." He said. She began crying again and huddled up against herself.

"It's your fault, honey. You brought all this shit up out of nowhere when all I want to do is forget." She admitted.

"I'm so sorry."

"That's not all." She sighed, wiping the tears from her face. She sat down on the edge of their bed. "I was trying so hard to forget about all of this that I forgot to write a check to my mother this month. Bernie called me this afternoon after Jack walked me home. She's dead, honey."

"Oh." He mumbled, trying to comprehend her meaning. He didn't know if she was sad about her mother's death or the fact that she never knew her mother. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Her skin was pale and as cold as ice. His own skin was cold as well.

"Her funeral is this weekend." She said, seemingly out of thin air. He kissed her shoulder and hugged her tight.

"Are we going?" he asked. She looked at him.

"Honey, you'd go with me if I went?"

"I'd do anything for you."

"Will you make love to me?" she asked. She needed the closeness, the heat of two bodies merged together. He leaned over and placed his mouth over her chilled lips. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip and pulled her further onto the bed. He then rolled over on top of her, feeling her flesh warming against his as she deepened the kiss.

He ran his hands up the sides of her body and unclasped her bra. Their frozen bodies were reacting nicely to the heat and she sighed when his hand reached down and pushed her panties down her legs. He pushed his off as well and looked into her eyes. She ran her inner thighs against his outer thighs and he pushed into her body. She felt some of her tension melt away.

He locked his lips with hers before beginning to slowly move in and out of her body. He rubbed against the perfect spot and her body trembled with pleasure. They hadn't been together with so much intensity and feeling in weeks and it was enough to make her begin wondering about their future. She knew that she shouldn't worry. They were made for each other.

An orgasm took hold of her body and she clung to him, violently shaking in satisfaction. He began licking and biting her neck and shoulders. She wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him and brought her lips to his ear.

"Hurt me." She whispered. He pulled away from her neck and looked into her eyes, which were flooded with tears that had yet to fall. "Please."

He nodded and took her hands from around his neck. He held them above her head with one hand while pulling her hair with the other. He pounded into her deeper than he would have ever allowed himself before. She gasped in pain and her tears made their way down her cheeks. He took his hand that was pulling her hair and placed it at the base of her neck. He used the back of her neck as leverage to pull her body onto him as he pushed into her. She was weeping and he slowed down, not wanting to hurt her too badly.

"Choke me." She said. He looked into her eyes once again and placed one of his hands around the front of her throat. He applied pressure to her throat and moved as fast as he could in and out of her. He felt her body orgasm a second time, but she barely showed a response to it. He came as well, but didn't stall his motions until the waves subsided.

He let go of her throat and she coughed. He quickly pulled out and helped her sit up on the bed, rubbing her back. He had never seen her like that before. She was an emotional mess.

"Are you alright, Kare? I'm so sorry." He apologized, helping her catch her breath. She lay down on her back and looked at his face.

"I wanted you to, honey." She replied as he lay down next to her and pulled her close to him.

"Why?" She shrugged, her tears finally subsiding.

"Just to make sure I'm still here."


	34. Chapter 34

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_November 12_

_Today was my eighteenth birthday. I didn't do anything special. I stayed at home and watched a few movies on television. I can't afford cable so they were shitty movies, but it was still entertaining. I was alone, but happy._

_I talked to Gin on the phone yesterday. She wants to come and live with me, paying half the rent, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. We didn't fight much as kids, but she has never forgiven me for the accident she had with her ankle. She broke it when we were children and it was apparently my fault. I have trouble understanding her sometimes._

_December 14_

_I graduated from college today. I honestly don't know how I accomplished this in such a short amount of time, but I feel good about what I've done. Gin gets here tomorrow and I will finally have someone to spend time with. Maybe I should try to make some friends._

"Are you going to wake up, Kare? It's almost ten." Will said. It was Friday and they were driving to her mother's funeral. She didn't want to go, but she felt that she owed it to her family, somehow. She just wanted to show them how successful she had become while paying respects to her mother.

"I don't want to, honey. I feel sick." She replied, pulling the covers up over her head.

"We've already talked about this. Besides, Jack will be here any minute and we need to be ready. She sat up and pushed the covers from her.

"Isn't Grace coming?" she asked, putting her glasses on and walking over to get her dress.

"No. The doctor told her that she shouldn't be traveling since she is so close to her due date." He replied, tying his shoes.

"She's okay though, right?" Karen asked, slightly alarmed.

"She's fine, but she's about to pop. She did send her condolences, but I'm sure you'll talk to her on the phone tonight anyway."

She smiled and changed into her expensive black dress. She walked into the bathroom and Will watched as she put in her contact lenses, brushed her hair and teeth, and began with her makeup. He was thankful that they took a shower together the evening before because they definitely didn't have much time for extra primping.

"Are you going to be okay when you see all of them?" he asked, referring to people that she hadn't seen in over twenty years. She finished flat-ironing her hair and sprayed some hairspray.

"I don't know, honey. What I do know is that mom would like it if I were there."

"Oh." He said. She shook her head, breaking her thoughts and unplugged the flat-iron. She walked back into the bedroom and put her shoes on before they heard Jack yelling for them from the living room. Karen greeted him with a kiss.

"You ready to go, Poodle?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I have to visit the little girl's room first." He said, dancing over to the bathroom. Will and Karen laughed as they watched him. They were thankful that Jack had agreed to come with them. He would be the light of their day, especially Karen's.

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The cemetery was dark and grim, much like one would expect. They walked over and Karen's sister, Gin, immediately hurried to their side. The sisters hugged like they hadn't seen each other in years, which was probably the case.

"Karen, dear, how are you?" Gin asked, nodding to Jack and Will in greeting.

"I'm better than ever, honey. How are you doing? I know you and mom still talked."

"I'm hanging in here. Bernie has been the one who we've really worried about. He's really heartbroken."

"Oh." Karen replied. She could hardly feel sympathy for the man after their colorful past. She still had trouble forgiving the man who used to beat her until she blacked out. Gin was introduced to Will and Jack before she led them to the rest of the people at the funeral. Karen was relieved that there were only a few relatives at the service. However, the wake was a different story.

The wake was held at the house that she ran away from at sixteen years old. She held both Will and Jack's hands as they walked through the door. The house looked exactly the same as it did when she saw it the last time. As soon as she made her first steps into the living room, the whole group of people turned to look at her. She took a deep breath, recognizing most of the faces.

"Why, Karen, it's been a long time." Will didn't know this man, but he sensed that he was a threat by the way that Karen straightened up and held her head high.

"It has." She replied, her voice seeming to drop almost a whole octave. Will assumed that it was her self-consciousness bubbling to the surface that made her change from her normal tone. She was, after all, embarrassed by her own pitch. Jack noticed too and gave Will a confused look. He just shrugged and watched her exchange words with the stranger.

"I think the last time I saw you was high school. You've changed so much." He said, leaning forward and pulling her into a hug, to which she didn't respond. He whispered into her ear. "And the last time we were alone you had your dress over your head." She pushed him away and looked him in the eyes. He only smiled before walking away to blend with a few more guests.

"Who was that, Kare?" Jack asked as he walked closer to her.

"His name is Mitchell." She said, Will grabbed her hand and she squeezed. "Listen, guys, I'm going to go look around. You know, see what's changed. Why don't you two mingle?"

"Are you going to be alright?" Will asked once Jack walked over to talk to Gin.

"Yeah, honey, I'm fine. I just got a little shook up just now."

"What did he say to you?"

"I'll tell you later. I don't want to cause a fight." She said, softly. He nodded and Karen began walking down the hallway. She looked at the photos on the wall and noticed that she was in a few. They were from the last time that she saw her mother. Jack had made a video tribute for her on her birthday and she was forced to meet with her mother again. They made up for the moment, but soon again went their separate ways.

She walked down to the end of the hallway and turned to her left. The door that used to lead to her bedroom was closed. She looked around, making sure she wasn't being watched, before opening the door and turning on the light. She was surprised to find that it was exactly how she had left it more than twenty years ago. She found it chilling and slightly psychotic.

She walked over to the bed and sat down. There was an old picture of her and her father sitting on the night table. She picked it up and smiled to herself. She had forgotten to take the picture with her when she left and regretted it ever since. She slipped it into her purse and walked over to the closet. She opened the door and found the remainder of her things, blankets, shoes, and clothes that she couldn't bring with her. It was oddly painful to walk down memory lane, but she reminded herself that she was sometimes happy as a child. A heavy footstep coming into the room made her turn on a heel and stop in her tracks.

"What are you doing in here?" Bernie asked in a more gentle tone then she ever remembered him using.

"I'm just remembering. I'm sorry, I'll go." She said, closing the closet and walking towards the door.

"You don't have to. To tell you the truth, it's nice to see you here again." She scoffed in the most polite way she could.

"You hated me. Both of you did." She said. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my…"

"No." he said, grabbing her hand. She pulled her hand away and took a step back. "I would really like to say something." When she nodded he took a deep breath and began. "I want to apologize to you Karen. I know that I wasn't a very good step-father at all. I didn't really know how to act around teenage girls, but that is no excuse for what I said and did. I know that I physically and mentally caused you a lot of damage and for that I am deeply sorry. Could you forgive me?"

"Why?" she asked. He looked to the floor and then back into her eyes, confused. "Why does it matter to you now? I was pregnant and you still beat the shit out of me. I was so young."

"It matters now because I want to right a wrong that was completely my fault. We just didn't know how to handle the fact that you got pregnant at such a young age." She gave him a dirty look.

"I didn't just _get_ pregnant. I was…forced. It wasn't my choice and I ended up having to suffer the consequences for not being strong enough to push him off of me." She admitted. He looked at her and it looked as if he were about to cry. She was confused about his reaction, but decided to let him speak again.

"If I would have known…"

"Listen, it's in the past. We all have things that we regret."

"Who was it?" he asked, shocking her.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes it does. I want to know."

"I…it was Mitchell." She said, unsure of why he needed to know. He began to walk out of the room, stopping to say one last thing to Karen.

"I hope you can forgive me because I need to be able to forgive myself. You can take whatever you want from here." He said before he walked out. She followed behind him only to see him walk over to Mitchell and hit him hard in the face. She gasped. He picked the man up off of the floor by his shirt collar and pushed him out of the front door, telling him to never come back again. He then turned o look at Karen, nodded his head to her, and walked into the kitchen to get some ice for his fist. Karen walked back into the bedroom and continued a search.

Will and Jack were busy talking to some of the other visitors. They all seemed fascinated by Karen and her wealth and it made Will wonder if they had ever even known her. He shook his head of thought before excusing himself. He wanted to go and check on Karen. He knew that she and Bernie had exchanged words and he wanted to make sure that she was alright. Jack was left to talk to the group of men.

"So, did you all know Karen when she was a kid?" Jack asked the group. He was unaware of what he was getting himself into. The men all laughed to themselves before one gentleman spoke.

"I knew her pretty well when she was about fifteen." He replied, laughing a little.

"What was she like?" Jack was fascinated by the way she used to be as a child.

"She was pretty good." He replied.

"I don't understand. Was she nice or funny or, what?"

"She was thorough." The man said. The whole group burst out laughing before Jack had finally had enough.

"Okay, what is so funny?"

"Well, she's sucked more than half of the cocks in this room, including mine."

"What?"

"Yeah, we used to pay her for it down by the park."

"Holy shit." He whispered to himself.

"And let me just say, I'd like to see how experienced she is now." The man joked, nudging Jack's arm. Jack looked up to the man, disgusted. Without warning he pulled back and punched him in the face, something he wasn't sure he knew how to do. The man fell to the ground and Jack hurried away to find Will and Karen. He thought it was time for them to leave.


	35. Chapter 35

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"I'll tell you what; I can't even come home for my mother's funeral without people hitting each other." Karen complained once they were all in the car. Will was driving, she was in the front and Jack was sitting in the middle, back seat. He rushed them out of the house so quickly that Karen didn't even see the stares of the men that Jack was talking to.

"Karebear, I'm sorry but I had to. They were saying some really messed up things about you."

"Like what, Poodle?" she asked as she turned around in her seat to face him. "What could they have possibly said that could make you hit someone?" He took a deep breath and looked up into her hazel eyes. She tilted her head slightly to the side and patiently awaited his response.

"They said that…that they used to pay you to suck their cocks." He admitted. He noticed her face fall and turn ghostly pale. Her breathing became a little faster and she looked over to Will who was trying his hardest to keep control while driving. "Oh my God, Kare, you didn't?"

"Honey, I was fifteen, pregnant, and scared. I was too young to get a real job and there was no other way for me to make money so I could leave. Please don't judge me, Poodle. I'm so ashamed." She said, quickly. He blinked twice before asking the obvious question.

"You were pregnant?"

"Yeah, honey, I was."

"At fifteen, but I thought you were a virgin until college." He said, remembering a conversation that they had had when they first met.

"Technically I was." She said. She never really wanted to have to tell Jack her secret, but she couldn't very well lie to him. Plus, she could trust him with her life. He was her best friend after all. He gave her a quizzical look before it all seemed to click in his head.

"You were…"

"Honey, you don't have to say it. We all know, alright? Please just don't tell anyone. You and Will are the only ones who know and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I'm so sorry, Karebear." He said as he took his seatbelt off and hugged her like she would disappear. She hugged him as well and held back some leftover tears that seemed to want to fall more and more frequently. She felt weak and pulled back from his embrace. "I love you, Karen." He used her full first name so she knew how serious he was.

"I know, Jack. I love you too."

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_July 26_

_My first day at Grace Adler Designs was, what I thought, a success. She tried to teach me things about fax machines and other forms of machinery that I will never be able to make work. I don't think she really cares, though. All of Stan and my high society friends seem to like her work so I think she'll let me stay. She's the first real person in a long time that I have met who seems alive. I love how inspired she is._

_I met her best friend as well. His name is Will and I can't stand him. He's such a self centered prick. He walked into the office and completely ignored me at first. Then after Grace introduced us he didn't seem to care. His only worry was the fact that his lover of seven years was moving their stuff out of his apartment. I understand why he's so upset, but he could have at least had some common courtesy. I was, however, surprised to find out that he was gay. I never got the gay vibe from him. I don't think he's completely gay, though. I'm pretty sure he got a good look at my ass when he left._

A couple of weeks past and life was getting back to normal. Will continued to read the old journal and Karen was finally herself again. She didn't cry as much as she did the week of her mother's death. She was able to let go.

Jack kept Karen's secret safe within his soul. He wasn't even tempted to tell anyone because he knew how much it meant to her. Grace had surpassed her due date and was miserable. She spent a lot of time with Karen since Leo was on his last trip with Doctor's Without Borders. He wanted to make one last large chunk of money before the baby was born. Too bad he would possibly miss the birth.

"I'm so fucking hot! Why is it so hot in here?" Grace complained as Karen walked over to her and handed her a bottle of water. She sat down on the couch and pulled a blanket over her legs.

"Honey, we turned the air on for you. It's not hot, you are." She said, taking a sip of her water.

"I want this thing out of me. I'm ready now."

"It won't be long, Gracie. You just need to be patient."

"Oh so now you're all full of wisdom? You've never had a kid, Karen. You have no idea what this is like." She said, full of venom.

"You don't have to be such a bitch. I'm just trying to help." She said as she stood up and walked to the kitchen to get a jar of green olives. She started eating them and walked back over to the couch.

"I'm sorry, Kare. I'm so insensitive." She apologized, tearing up a little. Karen rolled her eyes.

"Your hormones are crazy, honey. Here, have an olive." She said, popping an olive into Grace's mouth. Grace cringed at the sudden taste.

"Why are you eating olives?"

"I've been craving them like crazy here lately." Grace smiled. Sometimes Karen was so strange.

"Ouch. This damn thing kicks all the time." Karen sat her olives down on the coffee table before looking at Grace again.

"Can I?" she asked. Grace nodded and she put her hand on her friend's swollen belly. She smiled when the baby kicked and added her other hand.

"You look like such a dork, Kare." Grace giggled.

"I do not, honey. I'm just excited for you." She replied. The baby kicked again and Karen's smile grew.

"Will you be her godmother?" Karen's head shot up.

"What? Oh, honey, I'm flattered, but I don't think I'm your best choice. Maybe you should ask your sister."

"No. I want it to be you. You really don't get much of a say in this because I know how stubborn you are. Leo and I both agreed that if anything ever happened to us then you and Will are in charge." She said. She stood and pulled Karen up into a hug. "Now, I have to pee." She said abruptly. They both laughed, but suddenly stopped when they felt a burst of water hit their feet. "Oh my God."

"Did your water just break?" Karen asked softly. They remained still, half hugging, as Grace nodded her head in panic. Karen licked her lips. "Honey, get your bag and I'm going to wipe off my feet and get some shoes." She said, pulling away.

Karen was thankful that Driver was downstairs with the limo. She and Grace were on their way to the hospital in a flash. Karen called both Will and Jack and they were on their way as well. Grace was terrified, but Karen kept her as calm as she could all the way to the hospital.


	36. Chapter 36

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_I can't believe that I had sex with Will. I'm such a slut. My husband is fucking around on me, but I never thought I could be so spiteful. I don't know what to feel. I still don't like Will, but since he's been inside me everything has changed. I'm so confused. Stan would divorce me and leave me with nothing if he ever found out. He can't know. I just hope Will won't tell anyone. I'm so embarrassed that he saw me like that._

"It's okay, honey. The epidural should kick in really soon." Karen comforted Grace as she wiped her head with a wet cloth. After a few moments Grace took a deep breath and the pain slowly left her body. "There we go."

"Karen, I am so scared."

"No, Gracie, you'll be fine."

"Will you hold my hand when I deliver? Please."

"Wouldn't you rather it be Will?" Karen panicked.

"No, please. I want you here with me Karen." Grace pleaded.

"Uh, okay, honey."

"One more thing." She said.

"Sure."

"My husband isn't here and I need a kiss." She sheepishly admitted. Karen smiled and nodded. She leaned down and captured Grace's mouth with hers. Grace deepened the kiss and their tongues brushed. Karen pulled away quickly and smiled.

"Let's not make it too awkward, honey." She said.

Will and Jack arrived when Grace was about eight centimeters dilated. They all stood around Grace's bed when the doctor finally told her that it was time to push. She asked that they all three remain in the room while she gave birth. They all agreed and soon greeted Grace's baby girl into the world. She was named Lila Marcus.

"Do you want to hold her?" Grace asked Karen when she saw her observing the newborn.

"Oh, honey, I don't know." She replied, nervousness taking possession of her.

"It's a baby, Karen, not an explosive." She said. Karen smiled and reached for the baby that Grace was already handing to her. She smiled when the baby snuggled closer to her body. The friends watched as she stroked the small infant's cheek with her forefinger. They also watched as a tear slid down her cheek. She handed the baby back to Grace and quickly walked out of the room. Will followed her.

"Have you ever seen her cry?" Grace asked, in awe. Jack gave a negative nod before sitting next to the hospital bed.

Will followed Karen into the ladies' room, causing a few women to give dirty looks before walking out. He pulled her out of the stall she was crying in and held her close to his body. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"Sweetie, I can't help until you tell me what's wrong." He said, somewhat soothingly. She sniffled and looked into his eyes.

"I just had a flashback, honey. I know I shouldn't, but I miss her."

"I know you do, but you have to learn to let it go a little." He said. She gave him a dirty look and pushed him away from her.

"What the fuck do you know? You've never lost someone like that."

"Maybe not, but pain comes in many forms." He said. She settled down and took a deep breath.

"Honey, you should call your parents." She said, knowing that it was his current dose of pain.

"Not until they accept you."

"Isn't that what this is about?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that you should just try to be happy. Try to stop thinking about the past and think about the future, our future."

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm just really emotional right now and I don't know why. I didn't mean to go crazy."

"Let's just get back in there, okay." He suggested.

"Okay, honey." He leaned over and kissed her lips before they made their way back to Grace's room to ward of questions about her sudden outburst.


	37. Chapter 37

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Karen was finished wrapping her anniversary present for Will. She was nervous, but excited to give it to him. She only hoped that he hadn't gone too extreme with his gift for her. She only wanted to have a perfect evening.

"Hi, honey." Karen greeted when Will came home the evening of their two year anniversary. She was leaned forward over the kitchen counter reading a magazine. She had her hair in curls and was wearing a knee length dress that accentuated every curve of her body.

"You look beautiful." He complimented as he made his way to the kitchen. He kissed her neck from the side while she pretended to be interested in her magazine. She smiled and giggled as his hands began to roam and his breath tickled her ear.

"Will, I want to give you your present." She said. He ran his hands up the front of her body and caressed her breasts.

"I've been waiting to make love to you all day. Please don't make me wait." He pleaded into the side of her neck. She flipped the page in her magazine as he ran his hands up and down her legs. He hooked his fingers into her g-string and pulled it down her legs. She was really turned on, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction quite yet. She wanted to make him work harder to get her attention. It was a little game that she sometimes liked to play. She knew that it drove him crazy and that's why she did it.

He unbuckled his pants and pushed them down to his ankles, his boxers soon followed. He placed himself behind her and lifted her skirt up over her hips. He kissed her neck again and whispered in her ear.

"Spread your legs." He said. She shook her head and remained in the same position that she was in before, ostensibly unfazed by his actions. He rolled his eyes and roughly spread her legs himself. He steadied her before he rolled her hips back and pushed into her center. She closed her eyes and he heard a sharp intake of breath.

He pulled out and pushed back in, making her breath hitch. She bit her lip and grabbed on to the top of the counter to keep herself steady. He continued to pound into her as he ran his hands over her stomach. An orgasm struck her and she gripped the counter even tighter as it washed over her entire body.

Without warning, Will pulled out and spun her around to face him. He picked her up and sat her on the cold countertop before wrapping her legs around him and shoving into her again. Their lips finally touched and he allowed her tongue to explore every inch of his mouth. He bucked forward and she wrapped her arms and legs tighter around his body.

They had never made love on the counter before and it was thrilling. The feeling of their merged bodies rubbing against each other as she slid on the chilled marble was almost too much to bear. A second orgasm took hold of her causing her to moan into his mouth. He thrust until her orgasm was finished with her before he finally let himself go as well.

They stayed connected for a few moments in an intense lip lock. Once their breathing was back under control he pulled out. She sighed in contentment, leaning her head back, as he pulled his pants up and buckled them. He lifted her off of the counter and sat her on her feet.

"Happy anniversary." He said before he tenderly kissed her soft pink lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled.

"Yes it is, honey. Oh, come on and let me give you your present." She said, excitedly as she walked over to the coffee table.

"Your not wearing any panties." He said as he followed her.

"I don't plan on having to wear them for the rest of the night. What's the point in putting them back on?" she giggled. She picked up a small box and handed it to him. "Open it, honey."

"Actually, could I give you mine first? I really want to do this now." He said.

"Sure, honey. What is it?" she asked. He looked into her eyes and kissed her lips before getting down on one knee and pulling a box out of his pocket. Her eyes grew wide.

"I have never loved someone like I love you. I want to spend forever with you, Karen. Will you marry me?"

"Oh, Will, of course I'll marry you." She said. He stood and put the ring on her finger. He kissed her hard on the mouth and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss, but she pulled away before it could lead them to the bedroom. "My turn, open mine." She said as she pulled away and picked up the box. He took it from her and opened the gift.

"What is this?" he asked as he pulled out a plastic stick.

"It's a pregnancy test, honey. And it's positive." His eyes widened and he looked at her in excitement. She smiled and nodded her head.

"We're going to have a baby?"

"Yeah, honey. You're going to be a daddy."

"Oh my gosh." He said. He picked her up and spun her around while they both giggled. "How far along are you?"

"It happened the week before my mom's funeral, so about a month. I guess I should have told you that I stopped taking my pill." She said. He kissed her lips and whispered into her ear.

"You make me so happy. All I want to do is make love." He said as he picked her up again and carried her to the bedroom where they made love all throughout the night.


	38. Chapter 38

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An unexpected knock brought Marilynn to the front door. She and George were in the middle of lunch and she was very upset that she had to get up to answer the door. She opened it quickly to reveal Karen, looking very uncomfortable.

"What a surprise, Karen. We were just eating lunch."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I really need to talk to you and Mr. Truman." She said, feeling angry with herself for sounding so shy and childlike.

"I guess we could finish in a moment. Please come in and sit." She said, motioning Karen over to the couch. She took a seat and held her purse close to her stomach for comfort. Marilynn went to get George and soon they were facing her. They each wore expectant glares on their faces so Karen took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Will and I have been together for about two years. I know that you two don't like me and I understand that. But I don't understand why you won't even talk to him. He doesn't say anything, but I know he misses you."

"Karen, it's not that simple. You don't understand how it feels to have a person you care about betray you. There are a lot of things that you don't understand about life. You're an imaginary, money hungry bitch, if you don't mind me saying so."

"First of all, I have been divorced three times because of adultery. I ran away from home when I was sixteen because I was raped. I lost touch with my mother because she didn't want me. So _don't_ talk to me about betrayal, I know all about it." She said, somewhat regretfully once she realized what she had actually admitted to her future in-laws. "I know that I'm vulgar and I know that I'm really fucked up, but if you could just see how happy he is. I don't know why, but he loves me."

"Karen…" George began, but she cut him off.

"No. I came here to talk, not listen to you two degrade me. I just wanted to tell you that he asked me to marry him last night and I'm pregnant with your grandchild." She said as she stood from her place on the couch. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to work." She began walking to the door.

"Karen, wait." Marilynn said as she rushed to Karen's side. "I apologize if I hurt your feelings with what I said before."

"Mrs. Truman you don't have to like me. I honestly don't care if you ever do. What I do care about is the fact that my fiancée needs his parents. Just call him and don't mention that I was here." She finished before walking out the front door to her limo.

"George I feel awful about the things that I said about her." Marilynn said as soon as Karen left.

"Maybe we should call Will."

"Yeah, maybe we should."

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"You will never believe who called me today." Will said excitedly as Karen walked through their front door after work.

"Who, honey?"

"My parents called and apologized for everything." He replied as he met her by the table.

"They did? Honey, that's great." She leaned up and hugged him. He pulled her back from him, keeping a hold on her waist. "What?"

"You talked to them didn't you?"

"Don't flatter yourself, honey. Why would I do that?" she asked as she pulled away from his grasp and walked to the kitchen for a bottle of water. He smiled and watched after her.

"You did it because you love me." He said. "You care about me and you would do anything for me." He strutted over to her as he taunted. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up and be happy." She said, embarrassed that she was being seen as weak, even if it was by Will.

"I love you." He said as he surprised her with a kiss.

"What are you trying to get me to do, honey?" she asked, showing that she wasn't a fool. She knew that he wanted something.

"Okay, I just wanted to know how important a big wedding is to you."

"Honey, I've had three. I would be happy with getting married in five minutes at the courthouse."

"Thank God, that's what I want to do too."

"You really just want to get it over with?" she asked, incredulously.

"Yes I do. Let's just get everyone that matters to go to the courthouse tonight and we can get married." She choked on the sip of water that she was attempting to swallow.

"Honey, what the hell is with you? Why are you rushing this?"

"I just want to be able to call you my wife. Come on, Kare, let's do it." She looked at him for a moment, letting the situation roll around in her head. She wasn't sure if it really mattered whether or not they had an actual wedding. She wanted a courthouse wedding and Will wanted it too. That thought was all she needed.

"Okay, honey. I'll call the courthouse."


	39. Chapter 39

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Will carried his wife over the threshold of their apartment. She giggled when he stood her on the ground and closed the door behind him. They were finally a married couple.

"So, Mrs. Truman, what do we do now?" he asked as he took her in his arms and stared into her eyes.

"Well, the traditional thing to do is fuck my brains out, but I'm already knocked up so I don't think it would mean as much."

"Especially when you say it like that." He replied, eliciting a laugh from her. She leaned up and kissed his lips.

"I have a better idea. Dance with me on the terrace." She said. He smiled at her sentimental and romantic gesture. He took her hand and led her to the terrace where a CD player was set up in a corner. Karen rushed over and pressed play. Immediately a whirlwind that was an electric violinist surrounded them. He smiled, knowing how much she loved the electric violin and took her into his arms. They swayed to the sound of artistic music and held each other closely.

"You know, the first night that we were together, before we got drunk, I was out here."

"You mean after your fight with Gracie?" She asked as she pulled back a little to look into his eyes.

"Yeah, I stood out here and looked over the city. I asked God to help me find the right person to spend the rest of my life with." He chuckled. "I guess he works in mysterious ways sometimes."

"I asked God the same thing, honey. I'm so glad that he answered our prayers because I don't know where I would be without you. I love you so much, Will."

"I love you too, Karen. And I can't wait to spend forever with you." He said as he kissed her lips and they continued to share their first night as a married couple, a magical night that began the rest of their lives.

The End

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Thank you all for the reviews. They really help me know that someone is reading. I hope you enjoyed.


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